94 TALCOTT TEMPORARY USE PERMIT

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT this report be received for information;

AND THAT this application be referred to a Public Hearing at the April 4, 2017 Council Meeting.

CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER’S COMMENTS:

I concur with the recommendation.

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES’S COMMENTS:

I concur with the recommendation.

DIRECTOR OF PROTECTIVE SERVICE’S COMMENTS:

I concur with the recommendation.

PURPOSE OF REPORT:

To introduce the application for a temporary use permit for 94 Talcott Road. The application, if approved after public notice that the application will be considered at a Council meeting, would facilitate the use of the site for transit residential use for up to one additional year by Choices Transitional Housing.

BACKGROUND DISCUSSION:

The site is currently zoned for a youth correctional facility and had been used for that purpose for a number of years, with a purpose built facility on site. The site was deemed surplus for that use recently and the province has made inquiries about potential future use of the site over the past few years.

In the interim, the housing and shelter situation reached a crisis point in the Capital Regional District in 2016. A downtown site adjacent to the Courthouse became a temporary tent city. The province, with their responsibilities for housing acquired a number of sites to address the issue of homelessness, those who are precariously housed, and housing with low barriers. In the meantime, a few sites were identified and are being used or operated as transitional housing sites while the other sites are undergoing renovation. The site at 94 Talcott Road is one of the sites that is being used for this purpose on a temporary basis.

The Town’s Official Community Plan allows consideration of Temporary Use Permits anywhere in the Town. The Local Government Act speaks to municipalities having the ability to authorize a temporary use permits. Temporary Use Permits are a flexible tool for local governments that allow a Council to consider the temporary use of a site, and to include conditions of use and what, if any securities are required (and in what form security should be provided) to ensure that the conditions are met. Temporary Use Permits may be issued for a period of up to three years, with the potential to renew the permit for up to an additional three years. Any renewal of a permit would need to be considered before the original permit expires, and Council has absolute discretion with respect to the length of any renewal.

That said, local government has the authority to refuse a permit, or to allow it for a lesser time period. One of the unique features of Temporary Use Permits is the ability of Council to incorporate conditions of use into the permit.

ISSUES FOR DISCUSSION

The application from the Provincial Rental Housing Corporation requests consideration of a Temporary Use Permit for a one year period, to conclude on March 31, 2018. The facility is operated by Our Place Society, and the facility currently houses 50 people at a time. The letter from the applicant (Attachment 3) outlines the services that are offered on site and outlines the rationale for extending the use for an additional one year period.

Comments from the RCMP and The Director of Protective Services are also attached to this report (Attachments 1 and 2). These reports highlight some of the challenges that have been encountered with respect to this use along with some of the progress that has been made.

One of the significant matters that Council may wish to consider as it deliberates on this application at the April 4th, 2017 meeting are what conditions, if any, should form part of the Temporary Use Permit. At this point, staff suggests that the significant points for consideration may include:

Whether the one year period is acceptable or if a lesser length of permit should be considered
Whether existing on-site and neighborhood security is adequate or if changes are needed
What transition plan does BC Housing have for the site and as new housing units come on line, will the numbers of residents be reduced over time?
Whether specific communications protocols between Choices staff and residents, the neighborhood and Town staff need to be secured.
What, if any, performance standards should be incorporated into the permit?
What securities are warranted to ensure the substantive permit conditions are met?

This application will be formally considered at the Council meeting on April 4th, 2017. Notices that the application is being considered will be mailed to properties surrounding the site this week, and notices will also be placed in the newspaper. The application will be available for review at Town Hall during the notification period.