Construction of a 173-unit, $30 million seniors housing facility could begin on the site of Ron Brent Park as soon as April, following a decision on Monday night by city council.
Despite opposition from some area residents, council voted unanimously to support the rezoning of two parcels of city-owned land on Victoria Street and Oak Street. The move cuts the size of the park - adjacent to Ron Brent elementary school, the Connaught Youth Centre and Gateway Lodge -by 1.85 hectares, or about two-thirds.
"This is something we currently need in this community," Coun. Brian Skakun said. "We are losing some park land. (But) the gain to our community far outweighs that."
With the rezoning complete, Kamloops-based developers Frank Quinn and Jeff Arnold plan to purchase the land from the city at a currently undisclosed amount, then seek building permits and begin construction by the first week of April.
Quinn said the complex will include 66 rent-controlled units operated by the nonprofit Oncore Seniors Society under a mandate by BC Housing. The remaining units will be fully-accessable one-and-two bedroom seniors apartment condos sold at full market price.
Oncore will operate the entire facility, including the shared 20,000 square feet of common facilities.
Quinn said residents of the private units will be able to pay for as much or little of the services provided by the society as they need, allowing them to "age in place."
"What we've proposed to build is substantially identical to the one we have in Kamloops," he said. "Our model has become the darling of BC Housing."
While the privately-owned units will be larger -and in many cases more luxuriously appointed -then the BC Housing-funded units, Quinn said, all the residents of their Kamloops facility socialize together and have access to the same services.
"If you walked into the facility, you can't tell who lives where," he said.
Coun. Murry Krause said he was reassured to hear "those living in affordable housing won't be ghettoized" in the proposed facility.
However, several residents of the area were not as convinced.
The city received a petition with 44 signatures opposing the development.
In a letter to the city, Dezene Huber quested why the city is selling parkland to be developed when large parcels of partially developed and underdeveloped land exist throughout the city.
Letters from several residents of Gateway Lodge expressed concern about lost view of the park for residents, many of whom have limited mobility.
Catherine Kendall, executive director of the Connaught Youth Centre, said the loss of the park hits hard, because there is a shortage of park space in the VLA and Ron Brent areas.
"It came as quite a shock to us that the park is going to be developed... That whole area is parkland," Kendall said.
If the city does sell the park land, the money from the sale should be used to improve the facilities in the remaining park, she added.
City general manager of planning and development Ian Wells said the proceeds of the land sale will be put into a parkland reserve fund for the neighbourhood. The city will then consult with residents on what should be done to improve parks in the area.
"We know parks are important, but I guess I didn't know how important this park was to the community," Coun. Jillian Merrick said.
