City council has moved forward on a development application to build 123 residential and four commercial units in two five-storey buildings just west of Downtown Mission.
The 1.28-acre property would consolidate 15 land parcels between 1st Avenue and Lougheed Highway, along Wardrop Street. The mixed-use development would include a daycare.
Staff recommended the proposal, as it is consistent with the Official Community Plan and council’s strategic plan. The application requires rezoning, and council unanimously voted on May 2 to send it to public hearing.
“These areas have the opportunity to support downtown with vibrant higher-density neighbourhoods that form a transition from downtown to the surrounding residential neighbourhoods,” the staff report says.
“The future of this area generally forecasts multi-family residential and commercial.”
The proposed development site is bordered by a six-storey apartment building under construction to the east, and another apartment building to the west. To the north are single-family homes, and an automotive shop is to the south.
Building details in the application include an internal courtyard for gathering and outdoor amenities, with a design that utilizes natural daylight. The commercial space would run along the ground floor and face View Avenue.
An unconstructed laneway, currently connecting Wardrop and Maple streets between 1st and View avenues, would be closed to facilitate the development.
Council decided to close the laneway and sell the property on Jan. 17; the developer is in the process of buying it.
The site would require infrastructure servicing prior to a building permit.
While the developer is not proposing any affordable rental units, they are also not asking for any density bonusing in exchange for more units. The city’s housing needs assessment sets a goal of building 149 market home ownership dwellings this year.
There are no parks or trails within 400-metres of the site – the closest being one kilometre away; the closest bus stop is 350 metres away.
The developer would pay a total of $2,815 per new unit to city coffers for Community Amenity Contributions.
A public hearing is scheduled for June 6, 2022.
@portmoodypigeon
patrick.penner@missioncityrecord.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.