A “sad stretch” of View Royal is headed for a makeover.
Council is expected to approve final rezoning for a collection of three properties along the Island Highway that include the site of the former Cambridge Motel.
Developer Boardwalk and Invictus Commercial Investment Corp. plan to build two six-storey buildings with 238 rental units on the land between View Royal’s new fire hall and Prince Robert Drive.
A third reading passed in December on a 5-2 vote, with Mayor Sid Tobias and Coun. Ron Mattson opposed, and a final vote is expected this month to green-light the project.
“That spot, it’s always been a sad stretch of View Royal waiting for promise,” said Coun. Gery Lemon, calling it “past time” for the property to be redeveloped.
She said previous councils have always had concerns, but the property owner only recently decided to sell.
Project architect Rob Whetter of Vancouver Island-based de Hoog & Kierulf Architects told council that redevelopment of the former Cambridge Motel site has long been anticipated because the existing buildings are past their usable economic life and their current use doesn’t conform to the existing zoning.
“While the buildings have provided low-end-of-market-rental accommodations, they are not formalized affordable housing units and remain in very poor condition,” said Whetter.
He noted five of the 36 rental units were destroyed by recent fires that could have spread to surrounding homes and trees.
Of the 31 remaining units, 29 are being rented, with two in such poor condition they are not occupied.
Whetter said due to the age and poor condition of the buildings, the units have been offered at the low end of market rents, and none are subsidized housing.
“They have been more affordable because of the condition they are in, but not because of any regulation or government subsidy,” he said.
The developers have created a relocation plan to help the tenants find new homes, saying it provides four times more financial support than what is required by the provincial government’s Residential Tenancy Act.
The scaled compensation ranges from four months’ rent for anyone living there for up to five years to eight months’ rent for those who have been renting for more than 20 years
Moving expenses will be provided and a co-ordinator has been hired to assist tenants in finding alternative accommodation.
The new development will include entry-level studios to three-bedroom units. The two buildings will form a central square and underground parking is planned.
There will be two vehicle access points on Prince Robert Drive.
Street-facing ground-floor units connect to both Prince Robert Drive and Island Highway, with terraced patios and individual entries from the sidewalk.
The buildings are stepped to follow the natural topography and limit the amount of blasting required, Whetter said.
Many of the existing trees will be preserved, particularly where they provide green buffering to neighbouring properties, he said.
Whetter said community engagement for more than a year helped shape the final plans, including increased tree preservation and open space and reduced building footprints and heights.
Lemon said View Royal residents and the property’s neighbours were “generally supportive” of the development, though there were concerns the market rentals weren’t likely to be affordable considering current and future market rates.
She said there were also traffic worries as View Royal is a pinch-point for commuters to the West Shore.
Some councillors expressed concerns about the rapid development taking place in the town, noting about 900 units of various types of housing are underway.
Councillors got a first look Tuesday at another residential project — a three-storey, 27-unit condominium building is proposed for three properties on Helmcken Road and Camden Avenue.
