Councillors in Gibsons have adopted an affordable housing policy that’s expected to be a better fit with the work of the Sunshine Coast Affordable Housing Society, but they’re still trying to decide whether to give the Society property for its first project in the town.
The Society, through its land trust, has been working with planning staff in Gibsons to find a spot for a project in cooperation with local builder Click Homes.
The Society’s Matt Thomson told council’s committee of the whole March 1 that the preferred option is a block known as the Charman Creek Lands. It’s a mainly wooded area above Dougall Park, purchased by the Town in 1970.
Thomson said the 1.5-acre (0.6-hectare) property could fit 15 to 20 homes in an “eco-cluster” style development, a model that’s already been tried in Maple Ridge.
“A good amount of forest coverage is left and homes are integrated into the site, rather than just clear-cutting and building a new subdivision,” he said. “Often there’s a kind of common area in the centre where there could be a community garden, or maybe a playground if there are families, but in general the surrounding greenery is left as intact as possible.”
Mayor Wayne Rowe wasn’t quite ready to embrace the plan at that point, and several councillors expressed concerns over things like developing a well used natural greenspace, how a cluster development would impact the neighbourhood, and the wisdom of doing an outright transfer of the property to the Society.
Coun. Silas White pointed out that dedicating land for an affordable housing project is never going to be an easy call.
“I think every local government says that they support affordable housing, but when it comes to actually walking the talk, some kind of contribution or sacrifice needs to be made,” he said.
Council put off a decision until they could hold site visits at the Charman Lands as well as lots near White Tower Park on Mahan Road, Christenson Village on Shaw Road, and others.
Those site visits took place March 15, and at a committee of the whole meeting immediately afterwards councillors suggested other options, such as putting individual units on unused road dedications, instead of going with a cluster development. Coun. Charlene SanJenko described that option as “low hanging fruit,” and said it would have the added appeal of putting examples of affordable housing throughout the town.
Coun. Stanford Lumley wanted to narrow the focus to options that are most likely to go forward, but pointed out that he’s not saying “shut the door” on a cluster housing project. “My goal is to get someone into an affordable home by the end of the year,” he added.
Town staff and the Housing Society will now prepare proposals for six unused road dedications and the Charman Creek Lands for council to consider.
The affordable housing policy itself was adopted at the March 1 council meeting after being debated extensively in February.
It includes new criteria for the use of money from the Town’s affordable housing reserve fund, so it could cover things like project start-up costs or business plans and feasibility studies. It could also give the Town an avenue to aid the homeless by allowing the fund to be used to support a shelter.
There’s approximately $250,000 in that reserve fund.
The new policy also includes a broader definition of affordable housing, based on different price-points for different
housing types.
There’s also a specific policy discouraging strata conversions of rental units, added in response to the Affordable Housing Society’s strategic plan.
That strategic plan also suggests local governments on the Sunshine Coast develop a system for “density bonusing” – the idea that a developer could get approval for a project with higher density than normally allowed under zoning in exchange for community amenities and/or affordable housing contributions.
Sechelt already has a density bonusing system.
