Sechelt Sustainable Community (SSC) Properties is looking for expressions of interest to build “cost-efficient housing” on its 170-hectare property in East Porpoise Bay.
The company issued a request for expressions of interest (RFEOI) on Sept. 16, calling for “innovative concept plans for pocket neighbourhood designs that will be cost effective and highly liveable.”
Werner Hofstatter of SSC said the move was made after hearing from the community repeatedly about the need for affordable housing.
“Because of the great demand from the community for this type of accommodation, for working families as well as for people that are really hard done by, it’s really in our best interest to get this going as soon as possible,” Hofstatter said.
“So it’ll be one of the first things that we pursue, once we get final approval from the District of Sechelt council.”
He’s not sure how many “cost-efficient” units will ultimately be built, but SSC Properties has set aside a 10-hectare space dubbed the Foxwood area near Sechelt Inlet Road, on the northwest side of the property, for some form of affordable housing.
“Now not all of that, necessarily, would be part of this [RFEOI] but we’re looking for great ideas on how to start,” Hofstatter said.
“So if we can, at the end of the day, get four or five pocket communities designed and built we’d be very happy.”
Some ideas respondents are encouraged to consider in their submissions include small grouped dwellings, row houses, co-housing and off-grid options.
Hofstatter said the RFEOI has already been circulated to several designers, architects, urban planners and community groups and he invites anyone else who’s interested to submit a proposal.
“We’d like it to go as far and wide as possible,” Hofstatter said.
The full RFEOI can be found at www.sscproperties.com and submissions must be in by Oct. 31 at 4 p.m.
SSC wants to sign an agreement with the selected respondent(s) by the end of January 2017 and start preparing the area for development in the spring of 2017.
The entire project requires a rezoning that will have to get through public hearing and four readings by council before any building can get underway.
At press time, Sechelt staff had been directed to prepare a zoning bylaw amendment in support of the project that came with a long list of conditions. Some of those conditions include saving 50 per cent of the property for public and park spaces, the construction and gifting of a public marine recreation facility and development of a public waterfront walkway.
