Cranbrook City Council has given first reading to a proposed development project that would add 292 dwelling units to the community.
The proposed development would be on a 10-acre lot located at 804 Innes Avenue, amending the Official Community Plan (OCP) from Low Density Residential to Medium Density Residential.
City Council heard that the development would be constructed in two phases. The total development by Broadstreet Properties and Seymour Pacific Development Ltd. would including four apartment buildings, each with 63 dwelling units, and 10 four-plex buildings for a total of 40 dwelling units.
“We’ve been talking to these people for almost two years now about coming and building some housing here,” Mayor Lee Pratt told MyEastKootenayNow.com. “They did have their eye on another piece of property but they couldn’t make a deal on it so then we pointed them in the direction of this 10 acres on Innes Avenue.”
Pratt said the original plan from the developer was just for an apartment block, but they decided to have a more comprehensive mix of development after making a conditional deal for the 10-acre parcel.
In the application, the proposed project would include a central park area with a children’s playground, fenced garden area, and space for dogs.
The location is walking distance from Parkland Middle School and TM Roberts Elementary School, while the surrounding area has a mix of housing types including single-family, two-family and four-family dwellings, as well as mobile homes and apartments.
“The proximity between an elementary school and a middle school and the parks and what they’re planning, I think it will be a great addition to the City of Cranbrook,” said Pratt.
Giving first reading to the OCP amendment, City Council is now allowing City of Cranbrook staff to undertake public consultation and make plans for a public hearing in early 2020.
“Whenever you live somewhere and there’s a project coming close by you that entails having more than one house on it, there’s always some opposition to it,” Pratt told MyEastKootenayNow.com. “We will be having a public hearing on it and those people will be able to come and express their views and maybe their is some valid points not to have it but that’s the idea of having a public hearing and hearing the concerns.”
More: 804 Innes Avenue Development (City of Cranbrook)
