Photo: Contributed
Neighbours of a proposed downtown office building voiced concerns the developer was getting preferential treatment by lowering the parking requirement.
Some councillors believed reducing the cash-in-lieu of parking payment by $230,000 was not the compromise they were hoping for.
Despite objections, council voted 6-3 in favour of allowing what will be known as The Wedge to be built on a skinny piece of property at Water Street and Leon Avenue.
At issue was the fact a vehicle could not fit on the property, making on-site parking impossible, triggering the city’s cash-in-lieu policy, which would require the developer to contribute $330,000 in lieu of 10 parking spots.
After discussions with staff to find a compromise, developer Mathew Isabelle offered a cash contribution for three stalls ($99,000) while offering increased bicycle storage and end-of-route amenities such as showers and locker space.
Isabelle told council he had already secured three parking stalls at Chapman Parkade, and has his name in for seven more.
He says he would make those available to tenants of the building.
“I think pay-in-lieu as a means in an urban centre has a lot of merit because it will be an investment into another parkade, but it doesn’t necessarily meet the needs of that building in the moment,” said Coun. Brad Sieben, one of three councillors to vote no.
Sieben suggested the ideal scenario would have been for the applicant to pay the entire cash-in-lieu, while also securing the 10 parking spots.
“I can’t in good faith support this today, although I do want that site to have something. Whether a six-storey office building should be the final form there, I’m not convinced.”
Mayor Colin Basran, a strong advocate for alternate forms of getting around in the city’s urban cores, said he believed this development was ideal for downtown.
“For me, it comes down to are we building downtown for people or are we building downtown for cars,” he said.
“We know if parking is easy and abundant, there is no incentive for anyone to change their behaviour. This may make (parking downtown) a little bit harder, which means somebody will maybe make the choice to get around a little bit differently.”
Basran says that’s how the city can change people’s behaviour.
Marian Grimwood, who owns the building on Leon next to the new development, also told council she was concerned about the precedent a decision to lower the parking requirement would have.
Council did believe that risk was very low, considering the unique nature of the building.
Isabelle told council the five floors of office space would like be rented out to one business per floor or one for the entire building.
All Biz Releases Stories
