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October 27, 2017 6:16 pm

New Affordable Housing Project for Spruce Street

Monday, March 27, 2017 @ 7:28 PM

Architectural  rendering of new housing project –

Prince George, B.C.- Developers of a  three story  multi- residential  building  proposed for Spruce Street in Prince George,  has been granted a variance  to reduce  required  parking  for their project.

The project is a three storey, 27 unit  building  for  seniors and not for profit  housing.  Although  being operated by the Aboriginal Housing Society, tenancy will be open to anyone.

Normally, such a  building with that many units would need 31 parking stalls,  but the developers want that reduced to 17, saying  many seniors no longer have vehicles and most services are  within a 15 minute walk.

There is government funding  for the capital  development,  but not for operational  costs,  so  developers are  thinking  the rent will be “geared to income” in order to cover those  operating costs.

One  area resident  expressed some concerns about  the lack of parking stalls at the development, adding parking pressure  to other  residents in the area.  Should  there be  parking pressure in residential areas  as a result of  the development,  the City  would likely introduce  residential parking permits.

Mayor Hall says the project is one  of several  in the City which  will provide a  variety of  affordable housing options.  He points to the Riverbend project,  the new  townhouses  to be  constructed  at the Elizabeth Fry  housing   behind  Studio 2880  and now this one as examples of  options available for those  facing housing  challenges..

Council  has unanimously approved the parking variance .

 

Comments

It is good to see new development happening in this area of the city. “Spruce” things up in the area.

    Where do you live? The area got Spruced down by the City sending all of its problems to the area. Thanks a lot.

Interesting that seniors may not have that many cars. I wonder whether their visitors have fewer cars as well.

My mother is 92 and drove until she was 90, passed her examination, and gave the car up voluntarily.

Is there anything which prevents the facility from switching to a “non-senior” development?

Then again, maybe we need to have permitted street parking. Makes us feel like a big city … ;-)

So, will the residents at least get a nice sized gardening area? Or do they also not garden?

Maybe they can start a cannibis garden, since it was suggested each household was going to be allowed four plants when it becomes legal

‘tenancy will be open to anyone’ Our city planners and aldermen should google sat photos of Kitsilano to see what happens when city fathers reduce parking requirements for multi unit projects. The neighbors will be very sorry when it happens to them.

great, we can look forward to more 87 Buicks parked along Spruce st, with smashed windows. That’s bullcrap they don’t need the required parking, everyone else does when the make an application

Maybe someone on this site could look into how much Government Housing Prince George has compared other Cities in Canada. Build and they will come. How can the people working for min wage living in some crap place afford to pay for all this Housing, for people that may of never worked a day in there lives? something is wrong with this picture.

    Victoria is awful, they are turning the entire Island into a homeless shelter. Trudeau wants to build mansions for all the homeless and meth-addicts, and have the middle class pay for it.

      Well, hell, we’re already paying for the Naloxone and everything that goes with it. Ka-ching!

In urban planning and design, an urban village is an urban development typically characterized by medium-density housing, mixed use zoning, good public transit and an emphasis on pedestrianization and public space.

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