The city could be heading into anther waterfront development public process as Nelson Landing prepares to begin its odyssey.
With the coals still smoldering across the city from the Kutanai Landing waterfront project debate, Sorensen Fine Homes principal David Sorensen appeared before city council Monday night touting the merits of his housing project, slated for the former Kootenay Forest Products land on the shores of Kootenay Lake.
The phrases “affordable housing,” “no cost to the taxpayer” and “site remediation” were again bandied about as Sorensen made his presentation to council.
He is proposing to build a 150-unit housing development with up to 30 below market value units, a hotel and small conference centre and 26 commercial units on the 12.5 acre parcel of land.
There would also be a marina included in the scope of the project, as well as public access to Red Sands Beach.
Like Kutanai Landing before it, the initial rhetoric sounds good, said Councilor Ian Mason, but proof of the project’s merit will be revealed as the development application process play’s out.
The affordable housing component, at first glance, is enticing, as is the $80 million worth of new construction and significant infusion of new tax base for the city, he said.
“Basically we’ve been presented with a concept but the devil is always in the details in these things. I’m cautiously optimistic with this one.” He said.
“It’s a big project for someone to build 20 to 30 units, it’s a big step. I’m happy to see people still have confidence in development in our community given the global financial climate.”
No lots will be sold in the development said Sorensen, only finished houses. For them to control the architecture and create something beautiful like the old streets of Nelson is really a big deal for the developer of fine-crafted homes.
“it’s absolutely all about a community,” he said. “There are no condominiums, we all get to use the waterfront, we all get to use the beach and nothing is over two-and-a-half storey buildings.”
Parts of the building site are considered brown-field and require environmental remediation. Sorensen has already acquired an approval in principle from the Ministry of Environment and will use Pottinger Gaherty as its environmental consultant.
Sorensen told council the approval has taken a risk assessment approach, with what is below the surface of the site being left untouched.
There will be a build up of clean top-soil around the new buildings with “many sources of clean fill” being available, said Sorensen.
The Peco decks, reaching out into the lake will be retained and used for a hotel inn, office and retail commercial space and a small conference centre. It will also be the hub for the marina.
Although Mason thought the project would fit nicely into the community – with affordable housing, public access to the waterfront, site remediation and no high-rise condominiums – he was cautiously optimistic.
“At first blush it looks like a project that would be widely accepted by the community. Having said that there is always someone who wants to toss a rock in that,” he said.
Rezoning will be sought, said Sorensen, because the zoning attached to the property is such a “mish mash” that the city wants to write it fresh, making it a public process to let people know what is happening there.
As the application process unfolds it will be seen whether council will be called on to make some decisions. The next step will be to formalize the application for the project and then go through the process for the permit approval.
Timothy Schafer Nelson Daily News October 23, 2008
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