Gibsons council has agreed to a request to abandon a zoning change for a fellow councillor’s property in favour of subdividing the lot to build a second single-family home.
The property at 702 Gibsons Way is owned by Coun. Aleria Ladwig and her husband, and the rezoning they originally applied for would have allowed construction of an eight-unit condo project.
Although Ladwig has recused herself from debates and votes on the rezoning application, two letters from her were included in the planning department report presented at the Feb. 5 council meeting.
In the letters, dated Jan. 15 and Feb. 1, Ladwig explains that without variances to the setbacks, rezoning the lot to multi-family residential (RM-5) would make the property too difficult to develop.
“In addition to our property, the implications of requiring the existing RM‐5 setbacks essentially makes all the lots running up Gibsons Way (and potentially other small scale in‐fill developments in Gibsons) undevelopable without an investor buying and amalgamating multiple lots,” Ladwig wrote in her Jan. 15 letter.
On Feb. 1, Ladwig confirmed their preference is “to subdivide the property and build a rental house in the back,” which would still require a variance to allow a panhandle driveway to access the second lot.
Director of planning Lesley-Ann Staats told council that staff recommended proceeding with the rezoning with “relaxed” setbacks because although a subdivision would meet the current zoning on the property, “it is not aligned with the build-out vision of the OCP.”
Ladwig had her mother, Heather Gordon, act as her agent during the council debate.
Gordon told council the motivation behind the project was to create rental housing, and read a statement from Ladwig. “Coun. Ladwig understands the Town’s desire for greater density but asks, density for who? Council has two options before them. Rezone the property to allow condos to be built at relatively higher cost or subdivide the lot, enabling market value rentals at a lower cost. This mid-Gibsons area is evolving, its current mixed use zoning is not likely to attract high end condo developers or buyers, but it’s starting to attract young, vibrant people looking for workforce housing.”
According to Gordon, three roommates are renting the home already on the property and two additional three-bedroom rental suites could be built as part of a duplex after subdivision.
Coun. Stafford Lumley said while he trusts Ladwig to follow through with that plan, he’d like to see something like a housing agreement because the Town has been “burned in the past” on affordable housing promises. “Subdivision – no problem. I just wonder if there’s something we should put in place that ensures what’s being said is going to be met.”
Other councillors said they supported the subdivision option as well. Coun. Annemarie De Andrade said it offers a solution to the concerns about the earlier proposal’s height and form and character. “I particularly prefer the subdivision,” De Andrade said. “I thought with the other project the massing was too big, it was too much.”
Ultimate approval of subdivision plans rests with planning department staff, but council will have to decide on the variance for the panhandle access. Tuesday’s vote will allow the planning department to inform neighbours and get feedback that will go to council before a decision on the variance.
