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Prince George city council denies three-apartment Hart development

Council voted against the Sparwood Landing Project

City council won’t be moving forward with a proposed three apartment development in the Hart, near the intersection of Chief Lake Road and Sparwood Road.

Kidd Real Estate Holdings’s proposed Sparwood Landing project consists of three 43-unit apartment buildings with a total of 120 units featuring one, two and three-bedroom suites.

Developer Bruce Kidd has applied for necessary rezoning and Official Community Plan (OCP) amendments needed to facilitate the development in the predominately single-family home neighbourhood.

However, city staff recommended council deny the amendments because the proposed buildings are larger in scale than those typical to the neighbourhood and the location limited connectivity to transit services and daily needs amenities.

“It’s the siting of three apartment buildings being mid-block surrounded by single-family dwellings on both sides,” said Deanna Wasnik, acting director of planning, at last night’s (July 26) council meeting.

“The OCP directs us to have multi-family housing fronting arterial streets so often times there is already transit sidewalks there so that folks living in those residences could have easy access to services such as transit or amenities nearby such as shopping.”

In the proposal, access to the apartments would be from a road connecting to Chief Lake and Sparwood Roads.

“I did a lot of homework and research and I couldn’t find a way to support it because it doesn’t fit with the form and character of the neighbourhood and that designation was intended along those arterial roads,” said Coun. Cori Ramsay.

“There’s been some concerns about the width of Chief Lake Road, the lack of public transit and sidewalks and a number of issues in the area and I think by adding 120 suits in that area the issues would just be compounded,” said Coun. Brian Skakun.

“Mr. Kidd has done a lot of investment especially on the Hart Highway and the Hart Highway is booming but in this case I support administration. It’s just not in the right place at the right time.”

When it came to a vote, the application which was in initial stages before it required a public hearing, was unanimously defeated by council.