Some Brackendale residents are concerned about a development that contains 32 bedrooms set to replace a single-family home in their neighbourhood.
The single-family home on the property, at 41824 Government Road, sold for $1,900,000 in March of 2022.
According to the District, the proposal is for two buildings, each with 16 bedrooms, with self-contained washrooms, a shared living room and one kitchen space. The two buildings would be privately owned and proposed as market rentals designed to provide co-housing opportunities.
District staff said the property is a double lot and is large enough to support two buildings within most zoning parameters.
The applicants are asking for a variance to allow two principal dwelling units on the same lot.
"Typically, we would see a subdivision application to divide the two lots, with a single unit dwelling on each. This is one of two reasons why a variance application is under review," said District spokesperson Rachel Boguski.
The property is being redeveloped by the Melbourne Group, Grant Gillies, according to the District's website..
Construction of one building is allowed under current rules and is under Building Permit review. A second building—which is what the variance application is for—requires council approval.
The second variance is about parking.
The zoning bylaw currently allows a maximum of five parking stalls per dwelling.
"The parcel has space to accommodate more parking on-site to address street parking concerns and provide more parking on-site for co-housing residents," Boguski said.
The variance is to increase the allowed parking on the site from 10 stalls to more. The exact number is currently undetermined and is being reviewed as part of this application.
Tim Clayman, who lives near the property, says he wants residents throughout Squamish to know about the development because he says it could happen anywhere in town.
A set of townhouses is almost finished being constructed next door to the property, and the area is a mix of single-family, duplex and triplexes, which are more suited to the character of the community, Clayman said.
The planned project is a road too far, he says. He holds the municipality responsible for the upset the project has caused him and others who live nearby.
Consultation?
Clayman has several issues with the project, including that he and others he has talked to had no idea the proposal was on the table.
“The only way we found out about the true size and scale of the development was when watermain work was going in. We were chatting to the road crew, and they mentioned that they were putting in a four-inch water pipe, because there was a 32-unit condo development going in. And we were really, really shocked to find that out," he said.
Fellow area resident Dustin Perry is also concerned about the project since he found out about it from a friend, he says.
"I find it incredibly unethical that I was not made aware of this proposed development," he said, noting he has received other alerts from the municipality.
Clayman added that the District should be working toward a solution that gets residents on board, turning them into advocates, not opponents.
“This development, however, pushes limits far beyond what most residents consider acceptable, ultimately undermining support for housing diversity,” he said.
Clayman says the project was initially communicated by the District as a single-family residence.
"This issue has generated a great deal of frustration and confusion within the community, as there has been little-to-no transparency from the District regarding the actual scope of the project," he said. "The development's high density, combined with the District’s failure to communicate effectively, has raised serious concerns about zoning loopholes and their impact on the character and livability of residential neighbourhoods like Brackendale."
For its part, the District says standard procedures with development signage and posting to the Development Showcase were done in this case.
An FAQ page has been developed by muni staff to clarify some of the public feedback the District has been receiving, and that information has been added to the Development Showcase. The FAQ page is also being shared with everyone who has provided comments on the project, Boguski said.
"It’s important to note that this variance application to add a second detached dwelling unit is still in review, and is not approved. It is normal procedure to have community questions and further information shared with the community as the project undergoes its review," Boguski said.
A public information meeting by MDG Investments has been scheduled for this project on Nov. 14, at the Brackendale Art Gallery at 7 p.m.
In terms of the "single-family home" confusion, Boguski said the development sign on site refers to a single-unit dwelling.
"While the District does not have a “single-family home” use, we recognize that sometimes the terms are used interchangeably in conversation and understanding," she said. The FAQ page now explains this, she added.
Traffic and planning concerns
Jessi McLennan lives on Depot Road, near the project. A parent of a school-aged child, one of her main concerns about the project is the increase in traffic it would cause in the area, so close to a school zone.
"Living on Depot Road, we already see how incredibly busy our road has gotten with no real enforcement of speed limits," she said. “My main concern was just increased traffic and increased cars coming in and out very close to a school zone.”
She, too, is also concerned about the seeming lack of a plan and upper limit for how many people can be put in single buildings.
"I'm completely fine with increasing the number of housing ... in Squamish. I have kids, so I hope one day my children will actually be able to live in Squamish. So, it's not that I'm opposed ... I'm just very concerned that they literally have no plan ... and letting developers basically [come] in and build what they want without any community involvement or consideration to what or how that will change a community," she said, adding that if it were an apartment block going in, more would be expected of the builder, in terms of infrastructure and the like, but in this case, that doesn't seem to be required.
Changes the character of the area
Perry said the development goes against the values of Squamish residents. He grew up in Point Grey and moved to the Sea to Sky 13 years ago, trying Pemberton, Whistler and Squamish before purchasing a home in Brackendale in 2016.
"I chose Brackendale because it was the only spot I found—not to say there aren't others—in the Sea to Sky that resembled a truly Canadian small town where kids still play hockey in the streets, neighbours are friendly to each other, it is safe to walk, and there is space," he said.
"This new development flies in the face of this."
Perry said he doesn't see how this project would benefit the current residents of the area.
"Incoming residents wouldn't have it much better as there is no street parking where the proposed development is. It is located in a school zone, and further to that, it is very close to the BAG, which has already impacted street parking in the area, with overflow from their lot."
If it does get built, Perry said there must be a push for resident-permitted parking in the area.
Ultimately, Perry said this project should not go ahead.
"If council wants to densify Squamish, they should do so downtown or at least close to downtown."
He added he has seen "significant deforestation" in Squamish since he moved here.
"I don't understand the environmental logic of this. The property in question looks like a clearcut now. "
He said he is "growing very tired of the direction of this town despite being in a very comfortable position with a beautiful house. I don't want to live in a town similar to Kelowna, and I feel like Squamish is heading in that direction."
More housing, yes; but not here
Clayman concurred.
"When people move into a neighbourhood and make what is certainly the biggest investment of their lives, they base that decision off what information is available, and the information available is an Official Community Plan and zoning regulations. And in this case, there's no mention of the possibility of this happening,” he said.
He says the issue has broader implications for all of Squamish.
"It holds for RS-zoned neighbourhoods across Squamish," he said.
“Allowing this to progress without a defined plan effectively opens the door for unlimited density. While increased density is fine, it needs a plan to support it. Without an upper limit, responsible planning becomes impossible.”
The District confirmed that single-unit dwellings are permitted in RS-2 zones.
"All development in the District of Squamish is required to conform to the appropriate regulations and bylaws or processes to amend them ... and in this case, the allowed single-unit dwelling floor area ratio, setbacks, lot coverage on the site etc.," said Boguski.
"The District does not have the ability to differentiate between someone who would like to build a large home with many bedrooms for themselves versus a large home with many bedrooms for rent. Homeowners of all different housing forms have the freedom to rent their homes, have multiple roommates, allow multi-generational families in one home, etc."
Clayman said new communities that are being built, such as Oceanfront Squamish, seem to be well planned, and that plan is well communicated with the public, but when it comes to established neighbourhoods, that is not the case.
Further, he accused the District of ignoring Brackendale’s flood safety and debris flow risks.
The District said this is not true.
"This project is regulated by the BC Building Code, Building Bylaw, Zoning Bylaw, and Floodplain Management Bylaws, amongst others and will need to comply with the standards and restrictions imposed by each," Boguski said, noting this single-unit dwellings project still needs to conform to DPA 2 Protection from Flood Hazard. She said a report was drafted by a professional engineer to support the project under the current hazard mitigation policy and is currently under staff review.
"This housing form is not uncommon in Squamish, as this type of housing has been built and is in operation in both Brackendale and the Dentville community already."
Ultimately, Clayman would like to see a pause in the development.
“The council needs to hold a high standard in how they treat the people that they've been elected to serve. So hit pause and communicate what's happening to the community to allow for meaningful engagement.”
The Squamish Chief has been unable to connect with the development company for comment, but will update this story if and when we do.
*This story was modified after it was first posted to include more details about the meeting about the project.
