The City of Delta’s planning staff are in the process of reviewing public feedback on a proposed mixed-use building in Tsawwassen before it goes to council for consideration.
Called The Park, located at the corner of 5360 12 Ave. and 1146, 1156 and 1170 53A St., the development would have five storeys with ground-floor commercial and 65 residential apartment units above. The residential component includes 13 lock-off units and a mix of one-to-four-bedroom units.
The rezoning proposal is consistent with the Neighbourhood Centres & Corridors (NC) land use designation in new Official Community Plan (OCP), which means a public hearing would not be held.
An application had previously been considered to build a new 3.5 storey office/retail building at the site.
Following a public hearing last year, council unanimously voted to reject that proposal, preferring the site focus more on residential uses. The proposal had also been a controversial one for neighbours who argued the project didn’t fit with the residential area.
Meanwhile, the planning department has recently come up with an interim housing needs assessment for the city, fulfilling a requirements in the provincial government’s housing legislation. Although the city had already come up with a comprehensive housing needs assessment four years ago, which guided the creation of Delta’s 2021 Housing Action Plan, the interim assessment includes an update on the action plan.
The assessment is intended to guide land use planning and policy decisions.
A staff report notes that the five-year need identified in the interim housing needs assessment is significantly higher than the five-year need identified by the province when setting Delta’s housing target last fall.
The report notes the housing needs assessment includes “additional local demand”, a new variable that is not included in the housing target order setting.
“These numbers indicate that the need for housing in Delta continues to grow. They underscore the importance of taking decisive action to address housing need, such as creating opportunities for more diverse housing through the housing-focused 2024 OCP update, clarifying requirements around non-market and rental housing contributions, and increasing rental housing options through the Home Suite Home program,” the report adds.
