An apartment building boom in Prince George appears set to continue in 2023.
On Jan. 16, city council will consider the first and second readings of two separate rezoning applications to facilitate new apartment developments at 2690 Queensway and 1710 Sixth Ave.
‘APARTMENT HOTEL’
In the proposed Queensway development, property owners Bob and Gail Viergever are seeking to rezone the vacant, 1.5-acre riverfront lot from a commercial zoning to multiple residential.
“The applicant is proposed to rezone 2690 Queensway (subject property) to facilitate an ‘Apartment Hotel’ development offering dwellings for rent for periods of no less than 30 days,” city director of planning and development Deanna Wasnik wrote in a report to city council. “… (The) applicant has offered to register a Section 219 Covenant to restrict density to 70 dwellings/(hectare) permitting a maximum of 43 dwelling units and limiting height to a maximum of 12.0 m.”
A 12-metre maximum height would restrict the development to 2.5 stories, Wasnik added.
The city’s Riparian Protection Development Permit guidelines recommend a minimum 30-metre riparian setback from the top bank of the Fraser River, unless a smaller setback is supported by a qualified professional, the report says. A riparian assessment conducted by LTN Environmental Consulting LP on behalf of the developers in November supported a 20 m setback.
“The applicant has provided a Preliminary Geotechnical Report prepared by Evertek Engineering Ltd., dated November 13, 2022 (attached to this report), confirming that the subject property currently exceeds the required flood construction level,” Wasnik wrote. “Administration supports this application as it is consistent with the OCP’s Future Land Use policy direction and will create infill and redevelopment of an underutilized site.”
A preliminary site plan included in the geotechnical report indicates that access to the apartment would be from Inlander Street and a lane from Queensway.
If city council approves the first two readings of the rezoning on Monday, consideration of final reading would be withheld until the applicants have submitted a traffic study and servicing brief to city staff’s satisfaction.
APARTMENT TO REPLACE HOUSE
Also up for council consideration on Monday will be an application from a numbered BC company to rezone a 0.23-acre lot at 1710 Sixth Ave, to facilitate a new apartment building on the site. According to a report going before city council, the proposed multiple residential zoning would allow an apartment with a maximum of eight units.
“Should this application be approved, the existing single-family dwelling will be demolished to facilitate the proposed development,” Wasnik wrote in the report.
The Crescents Neighbourhood Plan identifies the area of between Winnipeg Street and Vancouver Street, and between Fourth Avenue and Eighth Avenue, as an area where “redevelopment may incorporate to higher density housing up to 90 dwellings/(hectare),” Wasnik added. “The proposed multifamily apartment meets the density targets of the plan while not inhibiting the opportunity for redevelopment of adjacent parcels.”
The block where the proposed development is already has three apartment-style developments.
If council approves first and second reading of the rezoning on Monday, consideration of final reading would be withheld until the two lots the current house sits on are consolidated and a servicing brief is provided to city staff, the report added.
Both proposed projects would also require Multiple Residential Form and Character Development Permits.
“Through the Development Permit process, the City will review the application to ensure that the proposed development is designed to reflect local identity, align with design guidelines, and enhance the built environment,” Wasnik wrote.
