A new, one-stop-shop facility for people in need is a step closer to becoming a reality.
Council passed first and second readings of a rezoning bylaw required for the Under One Roof project slated for 37871 Third Ave. downtown at its meeting Tuesday night.
Squamish Helping Hands Society is spearheading the project. The District of Squamish is providing the land through a lease, while BC Housing will provide funding and will own the building; Squamish Helping Hands will be the operator.
The rezoning is from townhouse use (CD zone 34) to a new zone created to accommodate the unique facility (CD zone 88).
The approximately 9,000-square-foot facility will offer centralized health and recovery services, access to food, an emergency bed shelter, affordable housing, support services and office space, as well as a community drop-in centre and laundromat, according to a District staff report.
While the zoning allows for the facility to be up to six storeys in height, the current plan is for four storeys, according to District staff.
No off street parking is included in the plan. The idea is the parking available adjacent to the property at the current Squamish Helping Hands Society shelter could be used.
The residents and clients the building is meant for can’t usually afford cars, Squamish Helping Hands executive director Maureen Mackell told council.
Each of the approximately 45 units will have access to bikes through the society’s Recycle Bicycle program, Mackell added.
The goal is for Helping Hands to work with community partners including the Squamish Food Bank, education and training organization Cutting Barriers, Vancouver Coastal Health and others to offer comprehensive services to the community, the District report states.
A storm water retention pond exists at the site and the impact of the facility would have to be mitigated, staff said.
Because the storm water retention pond was originally authorized by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the project would also be subject the organization’s review.
While no one in the council chamber audience spoke against the project, there has been some early opposition to the proposal from a few neighbours to the property.
Property owner David Perodeau said he has a tenant running a business nearby and is concerned about the impact of more “transient people.”
“The influx of transient people has already been a big concern in our community due to the prevalent drug use, which we have been directly impacted by,” Perodeau said in a written comment submitted to council.
Nearby resident Sarah Dauphinee said she was concerned about the possible height of the building and the loss of her view.
“I live in a townhouse across the pond from said property and already have a six storey tower in my vicinity,” she said, also in a written comment. “Another one would swallow us up, so to speak.”
Resident Garry Eschuk, who lives in a condo near the proposed site, also expressed concern about the height of the proposed building.
He is concerned about the issues that may arise with the soil quality of the property and its ability to support such a facility.
“The building might move or shift, as the subsurface soil begins to become more fluid and flow,” Eschuk said in an email that included a total of 28 points of concern or questions regarding the project.
More comprehensive details of the plan, including some solutions for parking for Under One Roof, will be available at an open house and public hearing scheduled for next week.
A public information meeting on the project is scheduled for Wednesday, July 12 at the Howe Sound Brew Pub starting at 6:30 p.m.
A public hearing in council chambers is scheduled for Tuesday, July 18 at 6 p.m.
