The Squamish Lillooet Regional District is asking that a proposed major Britannia Beach development also include some affordable rental units, hoping it will help address housing shortages in the area.
The regional district is asking that Taicheng Development Corporation add 50 purpose-built rental apartment units at below-market rates to its proposed project.
“Here are some things that have to be considered as part of this development when and if it comes to the board for approval,” said Squamish Mayor Patricia Heintzman, who is part of the regional board.
While the request for affordable housing is only a suggestion, meaning it is not binding in any way, Heintzman said the Chinese developer must pay close attention to the regional district’s input if it wants approval.
“If they want the board to approve their project, they have to make it a good project,” she said.
Also included among the board’s list of suggestions is the creation of up to 204 secondary suites in order to create more affordable housing options in the area.
The board is also asking Taicheng to consider building a pedestrian overpass at the CN Rail tracks at Minaty Bay, which would allow safe public access to a proposed regional park.
Taicheng recently gained a physical foothold in the area, as the regional district has given the company approval to set up a small office space about the size of a portable by the site of the proposed project.
If approved, the project would be a 1,000-home development on a 72-hectare piece of land.
The land for the proposed development was sold to Taicheng in a $30.5 million court-ordered cash sale.
The site of the project includes a gravel pit south of the mining museum, the former Makin lands and some of the land leading to the top of Furry Creek.
Some have lauded the project as a boon for housing in the Squamish area, while others have raised concerns regarding increased traffic. in the area.
