Prince George City Council has given first three readings to a rezoning bylaw to facilitate the development of a manufactured home park at 9153 Twinberry Drive.
Council gave the first three readings at tonight’s (Monday) meeting.
This is the second time a manufactured home park at the location has come to the City Council table.
In April 2023, Council denied third reading of a rezoning bylaw for the area following concerns related to preservation of wildlife habitat and form and character of the proposed development.
The applicant also held an open house on October 9th, 2024.
“The applicant has revised the application to accommodate the concerns raised from the April 12th, 2023 council meeting, and the October 9th, 2024 open house,” said Manager of Development Services Mandy Jones.
“The applicant is volunteering several Section 219 restrictive covenants that prohibit the placement of a standard mobile homes and limits density to 15 units per hectare.”
According to Jones, that would reduce the number of units from 233 to 159.
Councillor Trudy Klassen voted against the original proposal two years ago, but she has changed her mind.
“We’re dealing with an affordability crisis,” she said.
“It’s also hit the developers and the homebuilders, and for them to be able to build homes that people can buy is part of why we’re making these decisions.”
Councillor Tim Bennett agreed.
“When I entered the housing market, not that long ago, I could buy a single detached starter home, I think I paid $211,000 for my first home,” he said.
“Residents don’t have that opportunity now to get into the market.”
Councillor Cori Ramsay was the lone Councillor to support the application the previous time.
“I think the work that’s been done reinforces that the applicant has met some of the concerns, I think all of the concerns, I at least heard, from members of the public,” Ramsay said.
Councillor Ron Polillo said there may have been a ‘misperception’ of what the new homes may be.
“I’ve toured that area a couple times, I’ve toured the homes and looked at the homes and studied the homes,” he said.
“I think the developer has done a good job engaging that community and having that public open house I think was key, and educated that area and that neighbourhood. There is still some opposition to it, I’ll grant that, but if you look overall, there is quite a bit of support for this development now, and that, to me, is quite a considerable change when this came to us two years ago.”
Councillor Brian Skakun hasn’t changed his mind on the project.
“One of the things in the report, one of the main things that people focused on when it came to council was form and character, but there was a lot of other things, snow removal, traffic, a whole bunch of things in the neighbourhood,” Skakun said.
Councillor Kyle Sampson said he shared some concerns with Skakun, but he “didn’t see the same end result.”
“I don’t even necessarily view this neighbourhood as so singular being exclusively first-time homebuyers, I think this is going to be a development that appeals to a wide range of folks in our community,” he said.
“Starter home, first time homebuyers, seniors, people who want to downsize midlife after becoming empty nesters or still working, I think there’s a lot of folks who find this kind of development appealing.”
Councillor Susan Scott said there’s been a shift since the last time the item came to council.
“I specifically am taken not only with starter homes but seniors, because I know that my parents downsized into a modular home and found it very functional,” she said.
“Trying to say this nicely, modular homes have come a long way, baby.”
Mayor Simon Yu had concerns about traffic.
“If we’re going to do it in phases, if you first only put up one or two houses, of course that’s not going to impact the traffic on Highway 97,” he said.
“But when would that be triggered, do we receive a directive from the [Ministry of Transportation] saying for the Burgess Road entrance, you should only have so many cars before that we will mandate it that you will have a secondary or build a tunnel underneath to get it come out on Highway 97 somewhere down the line.”
He also voiced traffic concerns on fire lanes.
The first three readings passed with a 7-2 vote, with Skakun and Yu opposed.
The item will come back for final reading and adoption at a later council meeting.
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