Correspondence from Wiser Projects RE: Rezoning application for 10 Erskine Road

Rezoning application for 10 Erskine Road

Dear Mayor and Council,

The following letter outlines updates for the rezoning application for 10 Erskine Lane. The original application was submitted in November 2021 and was presented to Committee of the Whole in January 2022.

Additional Work

Since the original application, the project team has completed the following work:

1. Completed project renderings and street context sketch
2. Confirmed community Amenity Contributions
3. Completed a second round of community engagement
4. Provided a second option for the building design based on staff, Council and community feedback

Detailed information on the additional works undertaken is below.

1. Completed Project Renderings and Street Context Sketch

The project team has completed project renderings from four angles to give Council and the public a better sense of what the finished project would look like. While form and character would be discussed in further detail in the Development Permit process, this gives a sense of the project massing and scale from the street. These can be found in Attachment 1.

2. Confirmed Community Amenity Contributions

The applicant, Parsi Home Ltd, has confirmed that the Community Amenity Contributions (CACs) recommended by staff in the January 6th Report to Committee of the Whole are acceptable.

In the report dated January 6th, 2021, staff recommends the following CACs:

• Covenant registered on title to formally secure the community amenity contributions from the 2008 rezoning, which includes the construction of a sidewalk on the south side of Erskine lane from the property to Watkiss Way and improvements to the Galloping Goose Trail Access adjacent to the property
• $4,000 per additional residential unit (13 units) for a total of $52,000
• Native planting on the boulevard and other steep public land adjacent to the Erskine Lane cul-de-sac and the Galloping Goose Trail Access
  • The cost of this remediation work would be subtracted from the $52,000 cash contribution

Parsi Home is amenable to these CACs. When the project team conducted a public meeting for the project in November 2021, neighbours expressed a desire for community amenities to funnel directly to the neighbourhood (rather than contributing to more general municipal funds) and the proposed CACs aim to do that.

3. Community Engagement

In October/November 2021, the project team conducted community engagement by holding a virtual community information meeting. Paper invitations were dropped off at all homes within 300m of the site. At that meeting, residents expressed general concern about the scale of change and development happening on Erskine Lane, with a major project having been approved across the street. The concerns expressed around this significant increased in density centred around traffic and parking and safety, and a desire for the community amenity contributions to be realized in the immediate neighbourhood to offset these impacts. The project team committed to holding an additional information session prior to a public hearing and addressing the traffic impacts of this project and community amenities considered.

In March 2022, a second information meeting was held with neighbours from the strata development at 14 Erskine Lane. The following were the key takeaways from neighbours:

• Attendees repeated their concerns about the scale of change/development, primarily referring to 7 and 9 Erskine Lane developments
• Support for the overall design/character of the building
• Concern about shading and privacy from 5 storeys

The project team outlined the revisions to design based on feedback from the first meeting which included:

• Addition of privacy screening on the balconies of units facing 14 Erskine Lane
• Additional landscape screening between the two sites, with the the planting of full-size trees between the buildings
• Details on the community amenity contributions recommended by staff and agreed to by the proponent, which include:
  • A commitment to constructing a sidewalk from the site to Watkiss Way on the south side of Erskine Lane
  • Improvements to the connector trail to the Galloping Goose Regional Trail
  • Improvements and native plantings in the boulevard adjacent to the connector trail
  • A cash contribution

A full summary can be found in Attachment 2.

4. Building Design: Option 2

While the project team had previously provided the addition of shading screens to the balconies of the units facing 14 Erskine Lane, the comments from neighbours have been taken into careful consideration. The building design originally submitted is the project’s team preference in terms of a balanced, attractive building, but a second option has been provided for Council’s consideration (Attachment 3).

Option 2 has taken neighbours concerns into consideration, which were primarily focused on shading and privacy from the 4th and 5th floors of the building. The project architect has provided an alternate design of the building, which provide a step-back on the 4th and 5th floors facing 14 Erskine Lane, rather than just the 5th floor as previously designed. The unit count remains the same, as the 2 units previously facing 14 Erskine Lane have been moved to the 5th floor on the east side of the building, replacing the patio space that was previously there.

Current zoning allows for the building to be 3 storeys, and Option 2 helps to mitigate the impacts of the increase in height for the site’s only neighbours at 14 Erskine Lane. Residents of 10 Erskine Lane on the 4th and 5th floors would have little or no view to 14 Erskine Lane. This step back helps reduce the scale of the building when viewing it from the west and increases light/sunshine passing between the two buildings.

Figure 1: Front Elevation of design Option 1 (top) and design Option 2 (bottom)

Conclusion

We hope that the information above and attached to this letter are helpful to Mayor and Council in consideration of this application. The project team has done its best to reflect the current and anticipated future character of the neighbourhood, understanding the reasonable concerns of existing residents to the very significant changes coming soon. Since this project was originally approved, over 400 new units have been approved on Erskine Lane, changing fabric of this street; the project team intents for this project to recognize this change and offset the potential impacts of the additional 13 units requested to the greatest extent possible.

While Option 1 is the project team’s preferred option in terms of form and character, we have provided Option 2 for your consideration in light of concerns from neighbours. The privacy provided in Option 1 through privacy screening, considerate landscaping (in the form of trees) on the east side, and through the 5th floor step-back, is elevated in Option 2, by providing the additional step-back on the 4th floor.

Parsi Development is committed to providing missing middle housing in the Capital Regional District and believes that this project would be an asset in View Royal. The increase in density being requested will add much-needed housing in View Royal and the region and will help keep the cost per unit lower, without having a significant impact on neighbours or the form and character of the neighbourhood. The two design options presented each provide benefits and drawbacks, and we look forward to hearing Council’s thoughts on the matter.

Thank you and please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or comments.

Eleni Gibson Project Planner, Wiser Projects p. 250.857.6210 e. eleni@wiserprojects.com

cc: Moji Shahab, Parsi Home Ltd Jeff Chow, Planner, View Royal

Attachments: Project Renderings and Street Context Sketch Community Engagement Summary Architectural plans for design Option 2