A proposal for two buildings containing nearly 200 rental units — including affordable rentals for seniors — previously blocked by Central Saanich council will head to a public hearing after all.
A plan to send the joint proposal from Aryze Developments and the South Vancouver Island Housing Society to a public hearing failed in late October on a tie vote, but at a meeting earlier this month, councillors decided to take another look at the project.
The development at the corner of Hovey and East Saanich roads would see five single-family homes replaced with a six-storey building with 62 rental homes for seniors, and a four-storey building with 130 rental units, 13 of which would be rented at below-market rates.
This week, councillors voted to send the proposal to two public hearings. On Dec. 9, the public will have a chance to weigh in on proposed changes to the Official Community Plan, while a public hearing is set for Jan. 13 on land use bylaw amendments.
Luke Mari, principal of development at Aryze Developments, acknowledged the project is not compliant with the OCP, but said the plan hasn’t kept pace with the district’s housing needs.
The OCP references a 2020 housing-needs report that suggests the district needed 557 new housing units between 2020 and 2025, but a 2024 housing-needs reports indicates the district needs to add 1,200 units, Mari said.
“The OCP does not have that capacity and vision within the document,” he said.
Units for seniors in the project would rent for around $600 to $900 per month, while 13 units earmarked for health-care workers would rent for $1,200 per month.
The developer would also provide financial contributions for Central Saanich Little League turf at Centennial Park, new sidewalks from Hovey Road to Centennial Park and $250,000 for the municipality’s active transportation fund, Mari said.
Council will need to agree to move forward on OCP amendments in order to consider land-use amendments, said Mayor Ryan Windsor, who changed his vote this time around.
Windsor said there are merits to arguments both for and against the project, but he wants to hear from the community.
“I still have pretty serious concerns about the overall density of this project,” he said, noting the district has only ever approved four six-storey buildings, and in specific locations consistent with the OCP.
A final direction on whether to move forward is not likely until the end of January at the earliest, Windsor said.
The seniors’ housing in the proposed development would be owned and operated by South Vancouver Island Housing Society, which already operates Legion Manor Victoria retirement community next door, which offers affordable housing for seniors and veterans.
Rod Hughes, president of the society, said he’s relieved the project is back on track and will have a chance for public engagement.
The Legion Manor has a waitlist of 100 people, which shows the need for seniors housing in the district, he said.
Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said he was pleased to see the proposal move forward to public hearings and he hopes council understands the benefits of building affordable housing for health-care workers and veterans.
The province wouldn’t step in to overrule a municipality’s decision if the project is eventually rejected, he said.
“There are certainly other municipalities just in the region that would love to have this type of housing, and we would just simply move the resources to other places.”
