A proposed affordable housing development on Main Street is inching closer to reality after council approved its design plans in principal.
At their November 8 meeting, council approved a number of recommendations pertaining to development permit D22-04 for a multi-unit affordable housing project on Main Street.
The proposed development by the Dze L K’ant Housing Society would be built at the LB Warner lot on Main Street and would be created by subdividing the current lot, which also houses the Bulkley Valley Gymnastics Association (BVGA).
The approval was made with a number of conditions, including that the existing chain link fence along Tenth avenue and the north side of the property be replaced by a less “industrial looking” picket fence.
Council also approved a second recommendation stipulating that the approval in principal does not guarantee future approval for any subsequent permit applications pertaining to the development. As the site is still officially considered contaminated by the provincial regulator, official approval cannot proceed until the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy designates the site as no longer contaminated.
In speaking to the item, Mayor Gladys Atrill acknowledged the importance of affordable housing in the region. “I do appreciate all the work that’s gone into this and the creative thinking to allow the project to still work considering the type of hurdle you were facing.”
Construction for the development is slated to begin in Summer 2023, with occupancy projected to begin by the end of 2024.
Currently the development is planned to contain 31 units – a mix of studio, 1, 2, 3 and 4-bedroom apartments.