While a slew of hurdles remain before a 95-unit residential development can be built at 4010 Walters Street in Merritt, mayor and council made way for the application to proceed at a regular meeting on Jan. 8.
The developer’s agent, Gregg Lindros, was at the meeting and reiterated the developer’s desire for council to indicate their interest level in the project. He noted the appropriate rezoning was requested just over four months ago with hopes of breaking ground in the spring or summer of this year.
“While there is no guarantee associated with first and second reading, the degree of certainty will help us to advance the project financing at this stage as well to justify upcoming expenditures and help to stabilize construction scheduling and co-ordination to achieve that spring start up,” Lindros said.
Concerns regarding the density, location and size of the project, as well traffic and the affordability of the subsidized units were brought up at the meeting by both councillors and residents.
“This piece of property is supposed to only be for 75 units and we are going to 95,” said Coun. Etchart, noting traffic and parking in the area may be an issue. “I have my concerns but I think the public consultation process is key.”
In making a motion to proceed with the application, Coun. Luck said he would like to show the developer the city is willing to work with them.
“[Giving first and second reading] isn’t approving this project, and I think it is very, very important to bring projects like this to the public,” he said.
Mayor Brown noted not all the onus to work through the problems is on the developer, as some of the issues stem from Merritt’s own city hall.
“What we are trying to do is, in good faith, say to the developer, ‘We are willing to look at [issues] but we are not willing to go to public hearing until all of these issues have been addressed,’” she said. “This gives their investors just an idea that we are willing to put this forward.”
In response, the city’s director of corporate services stressed working through the application would be a learning experience for all.
“This is probably the most significant and complex housing proposal that has ever been made in the City of Merritt.”
– Sean Smith, director of corporate services
“This is probably the most significant and complex housing proposal that has ever been made in the City of Merritt,” Sean Smith said. “We are not perfectly confident that at this point in time we can say ‘These are all the details, all the things people need to know,’ but that level of confidence will be there by the time we get to public hearing either way.”
After debating the project, council agreed to move the application forward to a public hearing — should the outstanding issues be resolved and the necessary agreements negotiated — by a vote of four to three.
Councillors Luck, Fehr, Christopherson and Mayor Brown voted in favour. Councillors Etchart, White and Bhangu were opposed.
