City council approved a 41 hectare subdivision in the Westgate neighbourhood on Monday.
The proposed subdivision would connect St. Lawrence Avenue and Westgate Avenue. It would include 203 single-family lots and space for approximately 272 low-rise apartments, townhouses and mobile homes.
Council voted unanimously in favour of rezoning the undeveloped properties - pending traffic, storm water drainage and service studies by the proponent, Belco Developments Ltd.
"Within two years I'd like to have the first phase of this development available to market," Belco president Eric Trygg said. "I hope we can develop it in 10 years, not another 15. [But] it all depends on market demand."
The subdivision is the sixth and final phase of the Ospika South Neighbourhood Plan.
"This is about 40 per cent of the total land. We started the first phase 17 years ago," Trygg said. "This is a nice community to live in, above Collage Heights. [And] Prince George seems to follow the Lower Mainland by 12 to 18 months. They're busy down there... we expect to see some good demand in the next 18 months."
Following an open house on Oct. 20, the developer halved the size of the proposed mobile home park expansion, L&M Engineering principal Terry Fjellstrom said. L&M Engineering did the design work on the proposed subdivision.
Residents raised concerns about drainage, traffic and impacts on the greenspace in the neighbourhood.
"In a small area, they call it RS5 ... the entire area is sinking out of control," area resident Tony Mulder said. "After putting 12-14 feet of fill on top of that swamp with no plan... now they've got the water table five feet underground. I think that's why they've got, mobile homes going on top of that mud."
Soil from past phases of the development was spread on the site, he said, which was a wetland previously, he said.
"Now my house is full of water. I've got two pumps going in my basement to keep it dry," Mulder said.
City acting director of planning and developnment Dan Milburn said city staff must recieve and approve a storm water drainage plan for the complete subdivision before the fourth and final reading of the rezoning can be approved by city council.
Traffic concerns were raised by area residents Diana and Matt Duchscherer in a letter to council.
The Duchscherers raised concerns about the impact of extra traffic on Westmount Drive and the risk to students from neighbouring Immaculate Conception Catholic School.
"[We're] concerned that having St. Lawrence Avenue connect with both Westgate Avenue and Westmount Drive would cause more people to speed through the neighbourhood as a shortcut over the existing Marleau/Bear Road connection between Westgate and College Heights," they wrote. "[We'd] like to voice my opinion against the whole development."
