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Mazda dealership eyes new digs in north end

Coastline Mazda is growing up and will soon have a new home.

Coastline Mazda is growing up and will soon have a new home.

The dealership, which is owned by Steve Marshall Motors, has expanded beyond capacity of its current location in Willow Point.

“It’s an old, tired and very crowded facility,” Tom Dishlevoy, architect of the project, told city council at a meeting Tuesday night. “To properly serve the area, the owner would like to move to the north end of town where the majority of dealerships are located.”

Mazda will be relocating to property along the Island Highway between Park Road and Woodburn Road, after council approved the dealership’s major development permit this week.

“The site property we’re working on is about 2.2 acres, most of that will be set aside for vehicle parking,” Dishlevoy said. “It’s set on a slope slightly raised from the highway and we thought ‘why not create a replica beach, so when drivers are going down the highway they can look up and see the noses of all the cars peeking through beach grasses.’”

In keeping with the Coastline Mazda name, the entire landscape will have a beach theme that will include dune grass, driftwood and silver burweed, according to Liz Lightbourne, city planning technician.

City staff feel the new dealership will contribute to the city’s goal of serving as a regional centre for North Vancouver Island and will enhance the northern end of the city.

“The subject property is situated along the northern ‘gateway’ to Campbell River,” Lightbourne said. “To improve the appearance of these areas as ‘entrances’ into Campbell River, the OCP (Official Community Plan) encourages building designs which provide interesting and viable rooflines and facades as well as ensuring that the design is complimentary to the existing environment.”

The building site does lie within a risk slope area and partly within the floodplain but Lightbourne said the proposed building will not be located within the floodplain area or adjacent to the risk slope.

“The proposed development complies with all of the zoning bylaw development standards including lot coverage, building setbacks, height and parking,” Lightbourne said.

The proposed new building is 512.9 metres squared in total floor area, 4.5 metres high and designed with aluminum paneling and glass to provide a varied facade.