In this week’s Building Links:
- Courtenay: extended closing date for fire hall detailed design and construction administration RFP
- Comox: annex property approval for 35 duplex lots subdivision
- Powell River: preparing draft bylaws for 3800+ units
Courtenay: extended closing date for fire hall detailed design and construction administration RFP
The City of Courtenay has extended the closing date for proposals from qualified consulting firms for detailed design and construction administration services of the East Courtenay Fire Hall project. This project has been under consideration since 2014, when several designs were reviewed by an independent committee. In 2023, the city allocated $2 million in funding from the provincial government’s Growing Communities Fund for the project. Construction is slated for 2026/27. Fire Hall #2 will be located on the site of the existing training grounds at 220 Waters Place. The City purchased the 3.36-acre property in 2005 to serve as a future location of the second fire hall. Courtenay is expected to grow by more than 4,500 residents, and 2,900 homes, by 2031. This location is at the heart of the expected growth and provides ample space for ongoing training and multiple trucks. The new hall will enable an increase in volunteer firefighters from 50 to 67, reducing response times to emergency incidents. In addition, the BC Building Code requires that buildings outside of a 10-minute fire response time, have additional fire suppression requirements. Insurance premiums are often higher for property owners outside of the 10-minute response time. The new emergency services building will be constructed to post-disaster standards within the BC Building Code, ensuring the building is built to the highest seismic standards. The design will also comply with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, supporting the department’s commitment to ongoing training. The closing date is now August 5, 2025.
Comox: annex property approval for 35 duplex lots subdivision
The Town of Comox has approved the application to include this project site within municipal boundaries. An Alternate Approval Process (AAP) was conducted and received no formal objections from residents. The next step involves a referral to the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs and Ministry of Transport. The site is located near existing services, enabling straightforward utility connections. The proposed subdivision includes 35 duplex lots, allowing for the development of 70 new homes. Site construction is expected to begin once all required permits are secured.
Powell River: preparing draft bylaws for 3800+ units
Council has directed staff to prepare draft bylaws for a proposed 111-ha parcel development of land located adjacent to Millennium Park and the City’s Recreation Complex, between the Joyce Avenue and Timberlane Avenue corridors. Couverdon Real Estate has applied to develop these lands, which they are calling Benchlands, with multi-lot residential subdivisions that would permit development in keeping with Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH) legislation enacted by the Province in 2023. Permitted housing types would include single-detached, duplex, triplex and fourplex dwellings, carriage houses and secondary suites. Through ongoing dialogue and negotiation with Planning Services staff, the application has evolved. It now includes lands where a mix of larger ground-oriented developments and medium-density apartment style multi-unit residential housing can be established. City staff would like to see a density target of average density of 35 dwelling units per hectare averaged across the site. Couverdon anticipates the time horizon associated with the complete buildout of these lands to be 30 years. The application will require both an Sustainable Official Community Plan and Zoning amendment to proceed. To facilitate a wider range of housing types, staff are recommended a text amendment to Urban Residential Low Density land use designation to include ‘apartment’ as an acceptable form of housing. This designation already applies to portions of this property. Through negotiation, staff and the application have developed an approach where areas of the site would accommodate increased density closer to Joyce Avenue to offset areas of lower density further north. Staff expect the draft proposals in the Fall and a public hearing will be required.
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