A controversial plan for a six-unit houseplex in Vic West took a leap forward Thursday night when Victoria city council gave its rezoning application third reading and approved it in principle, subject to a series of legal agreements.
Following a three-hour public hearing, council voted 6-3 to move the project toward adoption, despite pleas from neighbouring residents to reconsider the plans.
Belton Avenue residents argued the Urban Thrive project was just too much for the dead-end street.
“A six-plex is double the number of housing units articulated in the community plan for this area of Vic West,” resident Terry Chyzowski said in a written submission.
Chyzowski also took issue with the project’s lack of parking on a street where parking is already a serious issue.
“The problematic aspect is that there will be no policy or legal structure for citizens to pursue grievances or hold anyone to account if parking becomes an issue given the developer’s insistence that the new residence will be car-free,” Chyzowski said.
The six-unit houseplex would replace an existing single-family home. City staff had initially recommended council turn down the rezoning application in January due to the lack of off-street vehicle parking, but council instead decided to move it forward.
It was a sign council intends to support “gentle densification” in some areas and won’t allow parking requirements to hold up projects that provide much-needed housing.
But that rationale doesn’t sit well with some Vic West residents.
Robert Anderson said the houseplex will contain 16 bedrooms, with potentially 32 people living on a small single-family lot, putting added pressure on local infrastructure, including transportation networks and city services.
It will also set a precedent for more high-density developments in residential neighbourhoods and put upward pressure on property values, he said.
Rachel Dugas, who lives on Belton Avenue, said a duplex or triplex would be more appropriate for the quiet, dead-end street.
But Coun. Jeremy Caradonna said the “baseline” for density has changed in the city. “The era of single-family-home zoning has come to an end, and it came to an end on March 12, which is when the bylaws for missing middle went live. The new baseline is six units on what was formerly known as a single-family lot.”
Caradonna said there is growing demand for car-free living, and the applicant has made “every effort” to respond to the community’s concerns.
Coun. Dave Thompson said council needs to be planning for the city of the next 20 or 40 years, and the Belton development “matches that vision.”
“Times are changing. Communities are built differently. Our job here is not to look back 40 years or even 20 years or even 10 years and say, I wish we could recreate the Victoria of the past,” he said, adding the city needs to push for more transit options and do a better job of providing cycling infrastructure to reduce the impact of cars on neighbourhoods.
Coun. Stephen Hammond said he appreciated the car-free aspect of the project, but couldn’t ignore the concerns of neighbours. “I have to vote against it. And I don’t mind saying that a part of me is quite reluctant because I like the idea of car-free places,” he said.
Coun. Marg Gardiner also voted against the project, saying it just didn’t suit the neighbourhood.
“I think it’s important that any housing, no matter whether it’s missing middle or anything, fits in in some way with the neighbours and is respective of the neighbours,” she said. “I just think this one overpowers the block itself.”
Before it is adopted, the project must secure legal agreements to provide no less than two adaptable units, six car-share memberships, a car-share vehicle, bicycle repair station and seven cargo bike stalls as well as providing an on-street Level 2 electric vehicle charging station.
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