Red Deer city councillors put on their development authority hats on Monday to approve a new 148-suite apartment complex in Clearview Ridge.
A proposal for a new five-storey, 148-suite apartment building came before city council because the site at the corner of Carrington Drive and Carleton Avenue is zoned as a Direct Control District. Any alternations from site requirements would require council approval, and the developer had sought an exemption from having to create the minimum amount of parking sports city rules require for prospective tenants.
Developer/owner Bill Robinson told council he was about 35 spots short of the required 227, which is about a 15 per cent disparity.
The total needed off-street parking spots are calculated according to a city formula that allots one space for a one-bedroom suite, 1.5 space for two bedroom suites and 2 spaces for three bedroom suites.
Robinson told council that not all tenants who rent in the building will necessarily own a vehicle. Twenty-two of the suites will be pegged for low-income clients, as per Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation terms, while the rest will be rented out at market rates.
Just in case more spots are needed, council also heard Melcor Developments, which owns the land next door, was agreeable to allowing some of that space to be used for extra parking.
But Coun. Vesna Higham expressed concern about the viability of this, and of whether there could be potential street parking crowding issues. She questioned if the building could be made taller to occupy a smaller footprint on the site, allowing for a larger parking lot. But Robinson replied costs would go up significantly with a six-storey structure as metal supports would then be needed.
Higham later proposed an amendment that would have required the developer to secure an agreement with a neighbour to make up for those 35 spots, but only Coun. Dianne Wyntjes supported it.
Other councillors felt it wasn't up to council to specify which steps are taken to resolve parking issues. Coun. Lawrence Lee said if any councillors have an issue with the exemption then they should vote against the development proposal. He notes there is no shortage of parking spaces at Clearview Market Square, next door.
Coun. Cindy Jefferies noticed some apartment building parking lots in her neighbourhood are largely empty of vehicles. She said Clearview Ridge has many walk-distance amenities, including stores, restaurants and schools, as well as bus stops and cycling trails.
In the end, council voting for a conditional approval of the apartment complex, which will help resolve the housing shortage in Red Deer. (Coun. Bruce Buruma was absent).
Mayor Ken Johnston said, "Red Deer is growing at a pace we haven't seen for a while... It's a great day in the housing fabric of Red Deer." He thanked Robinson for this investment and commitment to the project.
The developer, who is also building a housing project in Capstone, said he hopes to start construction on this building early in 2025 and to have it completed in 2027.
The 19-metre high complex will be faced with stacked stone, vertical and horizontal siding and stucco and have a green landscaped border between the building and the sidewalk. There will be a paved gathering area for tenants, with benches installed.
With a local vacancy rate of near zero in Red Deer, council heard that the city needs more apartments. And the proposed L-shaped development fits with city policies of providing a range of housing opportunities for different family sizes, age ranges and income levels,.
Nearby landowners were not consulted about this proposed development since an apartment building is a permitted use of this site and was identified in the 2009 Clearview North Neighbourhood Area Structure Plan.