Smithers Town Council has passed a Form and Character Development Permit for a mult-family home development on Third Avenue.
According to Town staff the approval will have some conditions and variances.
Some of these conditions include, screening to be provided on the sides of the shared waste and recycling area, flat canopies over the proposed entrances be changed to sloped canopies and minor changed to the design may be approved at the Building Permit stage are required by the building inspector and any changes must be approved by the Director of Development Services.
Councillor Casda Thomas applauded the developer for the project.
“I love that a local developer is developing housing in our community, that’s awesome, I think the location is excellent within walking distance and I support the higher density,” she said.
Thomas added that she also has some concerns with the amount of parking being proposed with sidewalks and with it being in front of a school.
Councillor Frank Wray went on the other side of the parking issue stating that if there was less parking for these units there will be more cars on the street which could also cause harm with children in the area.
Councillor Lorne Benson said his concern is alleviated to some degree because the speed limit is only 30 km/hour because of being in a school zone.
“If this were a 50 km/hour zone removed from the school zone I would be very apprehensive about that increase of traffic,” he said.
The development is being described as three semi detached duplexes containing secondary suites located at Third Avenue and Dominion Street.
This proposal is also being called a first of its kind in Smithers by Town Staff.