Wilson Crescent may undergo a further transformation, as a developer is seeking to build a passive two-building multifamily complex in the area.
"[It will] cater people who want a variety of a different type of house," said Tyler Ovington of LTO Development Inc. at a public information session on Mar. 13 at the Adventure Centre.
"Someone who can't afford an $800,000 townhouse but doesn't necessarily want to buy a 400 square foot [unit]."
A proposal from LTO Development Inc. would have 24 passive units in each of the two buildings. Each unit would occupy a single storey.
Each of the buildings would be 12 metres tall — 1.2 metres taller than the existing zoning — and four storeys each.
The ground floor for each building would have a parkade. Depending on the results of a groundwater study, the parkade may be below ground level.
The developer is also hoping to include a daycare
None of the design specifications are final, and everything is subject to change.
Giving ballpark estimates, Ovington said the price of each unit could range from the $300,000s to the $700,000s, depending on the size of each unit. He noted, however, that since the plans are very preliminary, it'd be hard to give firm numbers.
LTO is applying to have three parcels of land — 1145, 1155 and 1165 Wilson Crescent — rezoned from RM1 to CD. The rezoning would also increase the floor space ratio from 0.6 to one.
RM1 refers to multiple unit residential, which would allow for townhouses, childcare facilities and assisted living facilities, among other things.
CD refers to comprehensive development zones, which can allow for greater flexibility.
During the public information session, there wasn't anyone who said they were opposed to the project, but there were questions raised as to how the neighbourhood would be affected.
Traffic and parking were issues that were top of mind for several of the more than a dozen who attended.
One audience member wondered if there'd be a place to accommodate extra parking. Since a majority of units might be owned by couples who each had a car, there was a question as to where the extra car would go.
Ovington said he didn't have an answer to that.
Others noted that the daycare would attract more traffic in the area.
They hoped the developer could provide some measures to keep the road from getting too congested, especially given the tendency for one-way traffic in the area.
"I do not believe that regulating one-way or two-way traffic is our responsibility," Ovington said.
"I'm not sure what the answer is to that is. Maybe bigger ‘Do not enter' signs, or larger one-way signs. I really do not know how I can regulate people in a hurry going the wrong way."
Municipal engineer Devin Kiyonaga said the District was looking into some measures, but conceded that Wilson Crescent's road design was poor, which makes implementing traffic calming measures a challenge.
For example, making the one-way stretch of Wilson two-way is impossible, as current safety standards would not allow it, he said.
There was also talk about allowing open or green space in the development to be accessed by everyone in the public.
Ovington suggested putting rights of way on some parts of land could allow that to happen.
"I think the District should pay attention to the community feel and not the profit the developers make," said Negar Elmieh, a Wilson Crescent resident.
She said she was in favour of the project, though she hoped it would be less tall. She also called on the District to reconsider what she called a "piecemeal" approach to designing neighbourhoods.
Because different developments are rezoned separately, the designs might not fit with each other, she said.
She also expressed concern about increased traffic.
One Wilson resident, Kim Benson, said that she supported the project even though she was moving away from the area due to development.
"I'm one of the landowners who's selling, and the reason is because a development has gone in behind and a development has gone in front, and the expectation for a single dwelling home is to have, you know, some kind of space and privacy," Benson told The Chief.
"And that's changed now. And the follow-up to that is I'm OK with that change."
Having more people move into the Wilson area has increased the sense of community there, she said.
The neighbourhood used to have a rough reputation, but that's changed, she added.
Several others told The Chief they supported the project. One of them lives in one of Ovington's developments.
"I've lived in every single place in Squamish. Quality of homes that [Ovington] builds are just top-notch," said Jamieson Murray, who lives in the nearby Arbutus Grove.
