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Langford developer seeking rezoning to swap planned condos for townhomes on Bear Mountain

The rezoning request would allow a development which the developer says is a better fit for the area
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A preliminary massing diagram showing the potential size and shape, but no design elements of a proposed 29-townhome development at 2089 Champions Way on Bear Mountain. Developer 360 Pacifica is seeking a rezoning to change their plans from 150 condo units to the townhomes on the property. (Courtesy of 360 Pacifica)

Property developer 360 Pacifica is looking to make some changes to its vision for Bear Mountain which will see plans for 150 condo units swapped for 29 townhomes.

The developer is seeking a rezoning for the property at 2089 Champions Way from the City of Langford to allow the change of plans, and should the rezoning be approved, a development permit would be sought later this summer.

”We have looked at a condo option … and we decided we don’t like the fit in the context since it is a single-family neighbourhood, and building a condo requires you to dig a lot, to blast for the parkade, to clear cut everything,” said Devon Skinner, 360 Pacifica’s development director. “So we thought up an alternative development which is more sensitive to the neighbours, to the topography, and so we can keep more of the trees which are mature. There are some really nice big trees on the site.”

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Skinner said the current zoning for the property allows for the previous plan for a six storey apartment building with 150 condos in it, or up to 22 townhomes. But in order to make the project financially feasible, he said that needs to be upped to 29 townhomes, hence the rezoning application.

The application was presented to Langford’s planning, zoning, and affordable housing committee on Monday (July 11) with the recommendation being made that council consider the first reading of the rezoning bylaw, which is scheduled to occur at a later date.

“Generally speaking, we are not thinking of building the site out to the maximum possible density,” said Skinner, though he noted that with the different ways density is calculated between townhomes and condo buildings, the rezoning application is technically requesting more density in order to build 29 townhomes.

“We are already developing in the area with One Bear Mountain, so we already have an 18-storey luxury condominium … and we want to continue being active developing in the Bear Mountain community, so we want to make sure that what we are building is a good fit for the area.”

Should the change of plans to townhomes be approved, Skinner said there is not expected to be any difficulty selling the townhomes compared to condos as there is a gap in the housing market in Greater Victoria where such homes would fit nicely, even though they are intended to be upscale options for existing homeowners, rather than more affordable starter homes.

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@JSamanski
justin.samanski-langille@goldstreamgazette.com

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