A 13-unit townhouse project proposed for Lansdowne Road is alarming some neighbours as Oak Bay struggles to meet provincial housing targets.
“This is pivotal. This is precedent-setting,” resident Leona Frenette said Tuesday.
Oak Bay’s Marking Developments’ plan for 2298 Lansdowne Rd. would see two buildings, one with six units, the other with seven, go up on a lot next to Uplands Golf Club. Garages would be constructed on the ground level of units.
Marking said the plan brings “high-quality missing middle housing” which would help diversify housing options in Oak Bay.
A report to Oak Bay council in April said the municipality was not on track to meet its requirement of 664 new housing units over five years, with just 56 in the first year.
The province has brought in measures to speed up housing approvals by local governments and introduced higher density standards for residential areas.
In the case of Lansdowne, a fourplex is permitted on that lot. A single-family house currently sits on the property.
Although Oak Bay has some multi-unit buildings, mainly along parts of Cadboro Bay Road and Beach Drive, other capital region municipalities are more used to fielding applications for multi-unit projects. For example, Saanich council voted in June to amend a development permit to allow 318 rental-housing units and six commercial spaces to be built at Uptown.
An application to rezone the Lansdowne lot from residential to allow the townhouse project has been submitted, as has a request for an amendment to the Official Community Plan. The project would need to go to a public hearing to proceed.
Frenette said the Upper Henderson area is better suited for more “gentle densification” than what is proposed.
She said she is not against development but there are more suitable locations for multi-family projects in Oak Bay than the Lansdowne site. “It’s a big lot but not big enough for 13 units,” she said. “It’s not the right place.”
The proposal is too tall for the neighbourhood, she said.
Vehicles would use a one-lane access to get in and out of the site which she said would be awkward for next-door neighbours. Access would not be off Lansdowne but off Woodburn Avenue, a quiet street lined with bungalows.
One household has started a petition against the proposal, Frenette said.
A neighbourhood consultation process was not held prior to plans being submitted to the municipality, Frenette said.
Jennifer Travelbea, Marking Developments founder, said in a letter to Oak Bay “this proposal is a balanced yet progressive approach to a community in dire need to new housing options for families of all sizes.”
It includes energy-efficient features, green space, passive energy design and environmentally friendly materials, she said.
Some units would have two-vehicle parking while others would have one space. Bike parking and storage is planned. Reducing parking spaces would cut greenhouse gas emissions, she said.
The development would provide an opportunity for Oak Bay residents to downsize from single-family houses and still stay in the community, Travelbea said.
Mark Holland, planning consultant for the developer, said units would range from about 1,500 square feet to 2,000 square feet.
He met with 43 residents last week to walk over the site.
“This is very early days,” said Holland.
A transportation study predicted that during peak times the street would experience one additional vehicle every nine minutes, he said.
After getting feedback from city hall and from the community, “We will go back to the drawing board and see what changes the owner can make.” This would include working with the architect and possibly bring forward some changes to minimize community impact.
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