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No support for ‘premature’ 17-floor tower

White Rock council members suggest highrise proposal for lower Johnston Road site should wait for completion of OCP review
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A proposal for a residential/commercial development at 1350 Johnston Rd. – current site of Deals World – had an unenthusiastic initial reaction from council members in White Rocks Land Use and Planning Committee.

A major development permit application for a 17-storey residential highrise on White Rock’s lower Johnston Road – half-a-block south of the city’s town centre – has received a tepid-at-best initial reaction from members of council.

At Monday’s land use and planning committee meeting, several described the application as “premature” at a time when the city’s Official Community Plan review is still pending.

The 138-unit development, proposed by the Solterra Group, would include three-to-four storeys of commercial and residential “podium fronting” at the site, 1350 Johnston Rd., currently home to Deals World.

As part of an update report on current development applications, acting planning and development services manager Eric Shaw told the committee the proposal would require rezoning from commercial to comprehensive development, and an Official Community Plan amendment.

The most outspoken reaction came from Coun. Helen Fathers.

“This would be ill-advised to go forward,” she said, noting that, at present, “there has been no planning with regard to lower Johnston Road.”

“If ever we were going to be shot, before, by the community, we would be shot for this one,” Fathers said.

Coun. Lynne Sinclair noted the proposal is very different from another application presented to the committee, a 23-storey, 204-unit seniors independent-living facility planned for Johnston and North Bluff roads, proposed by PARC Retirement Living.

That one is within the town centre area, which is already pre-zoned for development up to 265 feet (25 storeys) in height.

“I’m very pleased to see the PARC proposal come forward,” Sinclair said, adding she feels it offers the kind of housing development that White Rock should be encouraging.

“But I’m concerned about the nature of the one farther south,” she said.

The Solterra property falls just outside of the town centre boundaries – which extend from North Bluff Road to Thrift Avenue, and Martin Street to George Street – and is currently zoned for a maximum of only 35.1 feet in height.

In a corporate report about the development, staff note that as part of the current OCP review, which launched in February 2015, “the boundaries and relationships of the Town Centre and Town Centre adjacent areas will be considered.”

Mayor Wayne Baldwin – while noting the Solterra Group “has owned that property for 20 years; they’ve been very patient” – agreed that it would be premature “when we’re on the verge of completing the OCP review.”

Proceeding further with the application at present would be “allowing the developer to amend the OCP for us,” he suggested.

“We should wait for the OCP and see how it goes.”

Staff are currently reviewing the development application, and a public-information meeting has been scheduled for May 31, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at White Rock Community Centre.

Proponents for the PARC application, who initially announced the project in December at 19 storeys, presented a revised proposal to the economic investment committee last month, and said the decision to make the building “taller and thinner” came after discussions with city staff.

A development permit application is expected to be submitted by PARC this week, with a public-information meeting scheduled for May 24, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the community centre.

– with files from Melissa Smalley