A development proposal for a vacant land parcel at 3350 Voght St. will be going to Public Hearing on July 27.
The development, which was given approval by council with a mixed Medium Density Residential (R7) and Residential Modular Home (R4) Zoning which would see townhouses front Voght St. and the remainder of the property as a modular home community.
However, the developer and Spayum Holdings LLP, the property owner, have had difficulty finding a partner willing to develop the site with both townhomes and modular homes.
For that reason, they have submitted a rezoning application to have the property zoned entirely R4, and this application will be considered by council following the Public Hearing.
According to Gerry Melenka, a Professional Planner with Kamloops based True Consulting, which is working alongside Spayum on the development, this rezoning will, “…allow for a complete modular home community, whereas the current zoning requires a combination of townhomes and modular which has presented a little bit of a problem for us with regards to finding partners that will develop the townhouse site, as well as the modular site separately. Modular communities typically are inclusive communities all upon themselves, where you don’t see a mix of commercial or high density residential within a modular home type development, they’re typically on their own and they function that way,” Melenka continued.
Adding to the difficulty in securing a development partner is the fact that Spayum Holdings will continue to hold the land rather than sell it upon completion of the project.
A development partner was found through a request for proposals process, and preliminary conversations regarding the plans have taken place, but Melenka said that the project could only move ahead with this partner if the townhouses were eliminated from the design through the proposed rezoning.
When the proposal first came before council with a request for R4 Zoning, council raised concerns of what the development would look like from Voght St.
As Voght was previously considered a highway, properties backed the road, rather than facing out. Now, Voght is considered a main thoroughfare for the City of Merritt, and, as such, there has been a desire to have buildings face the street and provide a more welcoming atmosphere than the row of fences currently seen. With an R4 Zoning, the modular homes would back Voght, whereas the suggested townhouses would face out.
Melenka said he understands council’s concerns regarding the streetscape of Voght, but that this is not the time for that to be considered.
“Those elements of design are typically something that’s dealt with at what’s referred to as the development permit process,” said Melenka.
“So, where fencing goes, what the height of fencing is, what materials there are, how the vegetation and landscape plan looks, those are elements that are handled further on down the planning process. Where we are now is simply at a rezoning, so whether or not the use is appropriate for this location and that’s really council’s main consideration in cases of land use.”
In consulting with neighbouring property owners, particularly those on Parker Dr., Melenka said that they had expressed concern with the townhouses, worried that the allowable three or four stories would impede their view, although the townhouses were intended to be two storeys in height.
“The removal of the townhouses to a single-story product helps satisfy some of that,” said Melenka.
“There was some expressed concern from those living along Burgess who backed onto the site that they didn’t want to have too many or any units above them, looking down on them.”
In response, the proposed number of modular homes that overlook Burgess was reduced from 22 to 17. Overall, the conceptual design would change from a total of 52 modular homes and 15 townhouses to a complete community of 46 modular homes.
“From a streetscape perspective… we’ve actually reduced the number of dwellings along Voght which also might help with reducing the massing that you might see on Voght if it was just townhouses side by side by side,” said Melenka, who said the new proposal would also assist the City with Phase Two of the Voght St. improvement project by allowing for road allowances and road dedication for various infrastructure.
This would include part of the property which is needed to construct a roundabout, as well as widening the road and connecting Grimmett St. to Spring Bank Ave.
“In order for them to install and construct a traffic circle, they would have to acquire lands within our property, so the subdivision would help facilitate that,” said Melenka.
“Without a subdivision it becomes difficult because the City would have to look at approaching Spayum to either purchase the lands or expropriate the land.”
Susan Roline, a board member of Spayum Holdings LLP said that Spayum had done their “due diligence” when it came to determining a use for the land after the Grasslands Hotel burned down more than a decade ago, conducting a study which indicated that it would be best suited to residential.
“It satisfies a medium range housing choice within the community.”
