This empty lot at 29 Second St. SW (seen from the rear alley) has been re-zoned to medium-density residential, a designation that could result in a four- to six-plex built on the site.--News Photo Collin Gallant
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A local homebuilder can proceed with plans to build an apartment on Second Street of the Southwest Hill after council approved a zoning change Monday night.
The 50-foot-wide lot that backs onto a slope has been vacant since 2022 when the former home was demolished, but would meet city development goals of spurring infill development in older neighbourhoods and adding more residential units, according to T.J. Crantson, owner of Scottie Signature Homes.
Nearby homeowners with concerns over on-street parking and back-alley access objected to turning the low-density lot to medium-density residential zone, suitable for a four- to six-unit building.
Council approved the change by a 6-2 vote following a public hearing Monday night.
The initially proposed three-storey building would have an exterior designed to match older homes in the vicinity, said Cranston.
“It will appear like a single-family home with a basement walkout (in the front),” he said.
He said the project meets overarching development goals and has received city grants for projects that involve brownfield densification projects.
“It hits on all of the city’s goals,” said Cranston. “We know that we can make it work for everyone.”
Three written submissions were received against the proposed change, and Duncan Baldie, who lives next door, spoke against the project.
“Nobody wants a four- or six-plex right next to them,” he told the public hearing. “The proposal has a lot of gaps and lot of rubbish, too. There’s very little parking left … basically everybody is on the road and it’s terrible.”
Planning officials said additional off-street parking and upgrades to the alley could be required at future permitting stages.
A medium-density residential designation would allow a minimum of four attached building units or one building with five units as permitted use, but also a 10-unit apartment as a discretionary use.
The site sits within the Herald Redevelopment Area, created 10 years ago to “protect the residential character” of streets east of downtown, but which also suggests higher-use zoning changes be allowed near like-properties.
Planning manager Robert Sissons said there are a number of multi-family buildings in the vicinity on First and Third Streets, as well as three along the same block of Second Street.
Couns. Robert Dumanowski and Shila Sharps voted against the change stating it was incongruent with the plan, or generally unsuitable for the street.
The developer would manage the rental units with an in-house company, as it does with several properties it has built in Northlands.
