Residents living off tranquil Newport Ridge Drive knew the day would come when traffic would increase, but a proposed zoning amendment could add more traffic than they bargained for.
Newport Ridge Drive has been slated as the main connection point between Tantalus Drive and the Thunderbird Creek neighbourhood since 1998 and while most residents knew that would be the case in future years, they didn't bank on a small-lot development right next door.
"It's a step backwards for Squamish because it's in the middle of an existing RS-1 and it's zoned RS-1," said Donald Byrne, who lives at 1024 Regency Pl., less than 100 metres from the proposed development.
"When we built here, we didn't expect multi dwellings right beside us. If the developer would just follow the local zoning and put lots the same as ours, we wouldn't object because it's existing routing and not changing the rules."
The developer, Townline Group of Companies, is asking the district to amend the current minimum lot size in the area from 690 square metres (RS-1) to 300 square metres. If the amendment is approved, the project would include a three-storey single-family dwelling on each of the 43 lots.
While the current zoning doesn't allow such small-lot developments in that location, Townline development manager Tiffany Duzita said the project is in line with both the Official Community Plan (OCP) and the Growth Management Strategy (GMS).
"I think the community has spoken loud and clear in both the OCP and GMS," she said.
"It's basically said it's an objective of the community of Squamish to achieve a wide range of housing by type, tenure and price to ensure people of all ages and incomes have a diversity of housing choices."
It was evident Monday (Jan. 17) that not everyone in the community feels that way when a dozen residents who live near Newport Ridge Drive met to discuss their game plan for next Tuesday's (Jan. 25) public hearing.
John and Kathy Cormack live on Wenda Place, just off Newport Ridge Drive, and are particularly concerned about the increased traffic in the area.
"We moved to this neighbourhood with the houses and lots being a certain size and expectations about the amount of housing that's in here," John Cormack said. "With this development proposal there would be more than double the houses than in this existing neighbourhood in a smaller area.
"So the amount of extra traffic that would be coming down this street and the speed that people would be going through is a big concern for us with our kids out running around."
Cormack said his two kids, aged nine and 10, spend a lot of time outside on their bikes, skateboards and scooters.
Byrne is convinced the small street and one-car garages in the small lot proposal will inevitably lead to cars parked along Newport Ridge Drive.
"They plan to put 43 lots in there, so if everyone has two cars, that's 86, so I would say definitely that parking would back up onto Newport Ridge Drive," he said. "Especially during snowfall and when they have visitors."
He also compared the development to a trailer park and said this approval would set a precedent for other developers to continue the small-lot trend.
"If it's allowed here to do a mini-trailer park it would set an example in Squamish and we would go backwards," Byrne said.
"Although I actually went over to the trailer park on Government Road and I actually think if anything, those lots are bigger."
Byrne said that at the first municipally required public meeting on the proposal hosted by the developer, Townline officials said they planned to sell lots for approximately $200,000 and houses for $500,000 because they were having trouble selling the ones they had already built in Thunderbird Creek for $800,000.
"That's not affordable," he said. "It's almost the exact same as here."
John and Kathy Cormack agreed.
"They talk about these lots being affordable and being $220,000," he said, "but there are lots selling for $225,000 in Thunderbird Creek that are more than twice the size of what's being sold here, so it's not really any more affordable.
"Also, last year in Thunderbird Creek they were continuing to slash houses at $100,000 off because they weren't selling, so to me it doesn't seem like there's a big demand for extra housing right now. Who's coming to fill them?"
Kathy Cormack said she worried that with developer Doug Day recently having purchased the former Garibaldi Springs golf course, he might get a similar idea.
"Those houses aren't going to be any cheaper they're just going to be on teeny, tiny lots," she said. "There's 36 houses off Newport right now and they want to put 43 in this teeny, tiny parcel of land.
"Once he does, then the next developer will want the same thing high-density housing for more money is a vicious cycle."
Duzita said there is currently no specified price point on the lots.
"It's a smaller home compared to the larger homes that you've seen being built in the Garibaldi Estates and the Highlands area, so it's a smaller lot and a smaller home which would reduce the price point," she said.
"We're only talking about land use at this stage."
Council gave the rezoning amendment first and second reading at its meeting on Nov. 7 and the public hearing is scheduled next Tuesday (Jan. 25).
