An application to build an 81-unit rental building at 4501 Arthur Dr., in Ladner is still winding its way in the review process before it makes its way to council for consideration.
Located where a heritage structure that has fallen in serious disrepair is to be demolished, the proposed complex will have a level of underground parking and four storeys above.
According to the planning department, the proposed development would require a public hearing because it does not comply with the site’s designation under the new Official Community Plan (OCP).
Meanwhile, a development application in North Delta that would see a high-density residential development would also require a public hearing because that site’s new OCP designation also does not comply.
That application would see the consolidation of several single-family lots in the 8200-block of 112th Street and 11200-block of 82A Avenue for a new four-storey apartment building with 85 market strata units and 47 market rental units, as well as two three-storey townhouse buildings with 20 units.
The application also still must come to council for consideration.
The planning department is also currently reviewing a separate rezoning and development variance proposal is for a six-storey purpose-built 78-unit rental complex for a vacant lot at 5737 Ladner Trunk Rd.
Located next to a 7-Eleven, and near the intersection at 57th Street, that proposal is consistent with the site’s designation under the OCP.
Meantime, Metro Vancouver, in partnership with the province and several municipalities including Delta, are developing a blueprint to accelerate the delivery of six-storey rental housing.
The project is supported by both the Metro Vancouver Regional District Sustainability Innovation Fund and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Aimed at streamlined regulatory requirements and standardized designs, the Rental Housing Blueprint initiative is focused on six-storey multi-family apartment buildings, a housing form with strong potential to help meet the acute need for rental housing in the region, according to Metro Vancouver.
The project’s objectives include reducing overall housing delivery timelines, addressing skilled trade labour shortages, and creating a supportive environment for off-site construction.
“Six-storey wood frame apartments were selected as a focus for the initiative given that this form is generally cost effective, economically viable, and widely accepted in the region. This building form maximizes the amount of density provided by light wood-frame construction, reducing per-unit and per-square foot building costs when compared to higher density forms of development that require concrete or mass timber construction,” a Metro report explains.
“Six-storey wood frame construction also tends towards simpler architectural forms and massing which works well with standardization and simplified regulations, guidelines and codes. Six-storey buildings are supported across urban and suburban areas, and in various land use designations, such as transitional areas, corridors, mixed-use zones, towns, and village centers as indicated in Official Community Plans (OCPs) throughout the region,” the report adds.
The current average project delivery time is approximately 4.5 years, with two-to-2.5 years in municipal approvals, the report notes, adding that a standardized regional regulatory approach could streamline and clarify the process, making it easier and faster to deliver rental housing. A final draft of the standardized regulation is being reviewed by Delta and key partners and will be presented to the Regional Planning and Housing Committees in early 2025. It is also anticipated that a full suite of proposed designs will be available by February 2025.
