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Two downtown housing developments get council approval

Four suites will be built on Front Street, eight on Herridge Lane
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Four suites are planned for a property on the south side of the 900 block of Front Street. Illustration: City of Nelson

Nelson City Council has given final approval to a downtown housing development on Herridge Lane and approved a variance for a new development on Front Street.

The owner of the property at 922 Front St., Matthew Fuhr, asked council for a variance that would increase the permitted lot coverage, and relax interior side lot line setbacks and building height requirements.

The property is one large parcel that is about to be subdivided into two lots (see map below). The east lot will contain the existing house and on the west lot the owner will build four new stratified townhouse units with two or three bedrooms each, with ground level access facing east and one off-street parking space per unit.

The development plan conforms to the current zoning of R3 (Downtown Residential).

The development will achieve a high degree of energy efficiency by adhering to Step 3 in the B.C. Energy Step Code, incorporating a green roof system for three of the units and using native, drought resistant plant species in its landscaping.

Council agreed to the variances at its Sept. 3 meeting.

Herridge Lane

Just before the Sept. 3 meeting, a public hearing was held concerning a rezoning application for 706 Herridge Lane. The owner had asked council to change the zoning to allow for a commercial space along with eight small rental suites.

This required a public hearing, at which several neighbours said they would agree with this if the commercial space did not include a pub or brewery, two of the many types of businesses proposed to be allowed in the new zone.

In response, council struck those two business types from the list of acceptable businesses, then gave final approval to the new zoning.

The public also had concerns about parking.

The owner’s proposal included buying a Kootenay Carshare membership for each of the eight units and donating a car to the carshare’s fleet. Council accepted this and decided to add a covenant to the property title to this effect.

There will be no off-street parking for the development. Four on-street resident parking permits for Victoria St. will be issued for the property.

Related:Herridge Lane house up for re-zoning to provide small rental suites



bill.metcalfe@nelsonstar.com

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18382606_web1_Screen-Shot-2019-09-04-at-10.06.44-AM-copy
The location of the development on Front St. where a large lot will be subdivided. Map: City of Nelson


Bill Metcalfe

About the Author: Bill Metcalfe

I have lived in Nelson since 1994 and worked as a reporter at the Nelson Star since 2015.
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