The public hearing for the third reading of a zoning amendment for Grosso Developments on Wotzke Drive held at City Hall Dec. 20 attracted comments from two citizens and developer Gerry Stanley.
At the heart of the zoning amendment is the fact that the Stanley’s development plans have changed from his original application in 2008. Initially he wanted to develop a mobile home park, but told council when his manufacturer went out of business, he explored options and decided to go with a bare land strata residential development instead.
The zoning amendment would allow Grosso Developments to build semi-detached dwellings, single family dwellings, and provide minimum lot sizes of 405 square metres at Deer Park Terrace.
During the public hearing, Elke Reiner said she’s not against the development, but had concerns about the new rezoning application and asked where the detailed geotechnical, engineering and subdivision reports that accompanied the original rezoning application in March 2008 had gone.
“In my opinion the public and the investing purchasers have an entitlement to full disclosure if the same property is being rezoned and we need to know if the 2008 conditions are in effect and met in the Nov. 29, 2011 rezoning because it is a new rezoning,” Reiner said.
Responding to Reiner’s concerns Stanley said his engineering firm has submitted extensive storm water management reports to the City that are available in the disclosure statements for the property owners.
Planning technician Liliana Dragowska also said the geotechnical report is public information and is registered on the legal title of the property.
“That report now runs with the land, which means if that developer was to build on that property homes that are single detached homes, mobile homes or regular homes, these are the things they have to do, no matter what happens,” Dragowska told the Tribune, explaining that what’s forced the zoning bylaw amendment is the building code.
“Now the developer’s coming back and saying we’re not actually doing mobile homes, we want to do modular homes. So this is a definition in the building code that’s a little bit different, but in our bylaws defined mobile home parks have to meet the building code. So we have to change permitted uses, but we don’t have to go to geotechnical again because it was already dealt with once,” she explained, adding it’s not an issue because the geotechnical report is registered on the title.
“The public knows it’s a geotechnical hazard area because it’s in our official community plan so the applicant doesn’t have to revisit it. They’re taking care of it,” she said, adding the developers are also in the process of a subdivision application which doesn’t come before council, but is done by an approving officer.
Although he supported the application fully, Steve Forseth questioned the timing of the public hearing.
He pointed out that originally it was slated for a January 2012 meeting, but at the second reading, which took place during the Dec. 6 inauguration meeting, the public hearing date was set for Dec. 20.
“My suggestion would be to leave the debate around setting the public hearing date until second reading and staff can also report their technical know how as to what date should be set,” Forseth said.
The bylaw received third reading, was approved unanimously by council, and will now be referred to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure for approval.