Council makes decades old Alpine Lakes Suites legal
By Timothy Schafer
An ages old legislative wrong has been righted as the Alpine Lakes Suites, formerly Maryanne Apartments, is now conforming within city bylaw.
In the wake of a public hearing last week, city council moved to pass third reading and adoption of the bylaw that will legitimize the location — and the density requirements — of the apartment building in upper Fairview.
The Alpine Lakes Suites had been deemed non-conforming within density requirements for its R2 zone since 2013 when city council adopted a new zoning bylaw.
With 49 units currently in Alpine Lake Suites, under the previous R2 zoning in which the building resided it was only permitted to only have 26 units.
This anomaly only mattered when structural alterations or additions were proposed —changes could not be made to a building while it was non-conforming — and the Suites owner wanted to upgrade and renovate the building.
Although the public process to achieve a zoning amendment move to R4 began amid some neighbourhood concern, the final public hearing on Aug. 10 passed without significant opposition.
The city and the building owners had done their due diligence before arriving at the decision. City staff, along with the property owner, conducted a public open house on May 4 in which 12 neighbourhood residents attended. Increased residential density was a concern raised, as were issues of traffic, parking and building height.
In addition, the city has received seven letters from residents, citing increased density and impacts on the neighbourhood such parking, compliance with street parking restrictions, emergency access on Ninth St. and traffic (existing and anticipated).
But council was advised by senior city planner Megan Squires in her June 1 report to council the existing apartment building was consistent with the city’s sustainability principle for Healthy Neighbourhoods as it provided diverse and affordable housing opportunities for residents.
The housing options available at Alpine Lake Suites qualify as market rental. The rental prices are below market for all unit types, which makes them more affordable for youth, seniors, and families — key populations identified in the strategy who experience difficulties in finding affordable housing in Nelson.
The city’s Advisory Planning Commission reviewed the application on April 15. They recommended approval of the proposed amendment if the city’s development services staff amend R4 zoning wording to ensure that any future development on the site complied with the established zoning regulations.
City staff recommended a covenant that ensured that should the building be damaged or destroyed to the extent of 75 per cent or more of its value above its foundations — as determined by the building inspector — that it must be repaired or reconstructed in accordance with the R2 zone regulations in the bylaw.
“Staff support this change, as it will ensure that the owners are able to maintain the building in good repair so that it continues to provide housing to residents in our community,” said Squires in her report to council.
National pharmacare program
City council will be writing a letter to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to urge the federal government to implement a national pharmacare program.
Council voted to pass a resolution to write the letter to support its “commitment to the importance of healthy citizens as the foundation of a healthy, engaged and economically vibrant community.”
In its decision, several councilors noted that Canada was currently the only country with a national medicare program that did not have a national pharmacare program.
In passing its resolution, council hoped the federal government would develop a national pharmacare program as an extension of Canadian medicare.
