A plan for a 31-unit housing development to replace three single-family homes in the Fairfield-Gonzales neighbourhood will go to public hearing.
Victoria council has agreed to send the proposal to a hearing, along with a linked proposal to downzone land at nearby Abkhazi Garden.
The two sites, just blocks apart, are linked by a density-swap deal between Abkhazi Garden and Aryze Developments, the developer behind the proposed multi-family residential project.
Under the deal, the density rights of the gardens’ site at 1964 Fairfield Rd. would be transferred a few hundred metres to the west to 1733-1737 Fairfield Rd., where Aryze wants to build the four-storey residential building.
The rezoning applications and official community plan amendments would, if approved by council, downzone Abkhazi — currently zoned for a dozen townhomes — and ensure it holds heritage designation, while allowing Aryze to start work on the multi-family project.
Under the agreement, The Land Conservancy, which owns Abkhazi Garden, would also receive $300,000 from Aryze.
Council was split by the application, eventually voting 7-2 to move it forward to a public hearing, with councillors Marg Gardiner and Stephen Hammond voting against the move.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for us to figure out how to have that gentle densification into our neighborhoods. Four storeys seems reasonable for Fairfield Road,” said Coun. Jeremy Caradonna.
Coun. Chris Coleman said he still has concerns with the residential project, but it met the threshold to warrant a public hearing.
“I don’t think it’ll be a happy public hearing,” he said. “There’s a lot of dissatisfaction in the adjacent neighborhood.”
Council received a lot of input from neighbouring residents that the development was too big and intrusive for the area.
Correspondence from neighbours suggests it “really is not welcome in the area,” said Gardiner, who also disagreed with the density transfer.
“For me, giving a donation to another property or to a community project does not provide a rationale for support of an application on unrelated property.”
Before it can proceed to a public hearing Aryze has been advised to add to its plans an additional two-bedroom unit and convert a one-bedroom unit to a two-bedroom unit.
They have also been instructed to improve the new project’s transition to the neighbouring single-family homes, increase outdoor amenity space, improve onsite stormwater management and accommodate more replacement trees.
