Canary Lofts off to public hearing

MICHAEL POTESTIO STAFF REPORTER michael@kamloopsthisweek.com

A development permit and rezoning application that could change the face of Columbia Street is off to a public hearing.

Kamloops council has unanimously approved giving two reading to the rezoning application to change property at the corner of Columbia Street and First Avenue from medium to high-density housing.

The next two public hearings are set for Feb. 28 and March 28 at city hall, starting each night at 7 p.m.

rently hold two multi-family buildings (including the aforementioned Uplands) and three houses.

Plans are to remove one house and keep two others that have suites in them.

The development site has street frontages on First Avenue and Columbia Street and is accessible from the lane running east-west to the north of the property.

Total Concept Developments, the company behind the redevelopment application, is seeking to rezone a number of properties, including the parcel at the northeast corner of Columbia and First that now holds the boarded-up Upland Apartments.

The ultimate goal is to create Canary Lofts, a 171-unit strata-titled and rental apartment development in two buildings — an existing, renovated 30-unit structure and a new, 141-unit addition — with an underground parking structure containing 178 parking spaces.

Staff also noted a second area of concern, that being the scale of the development, given its height of eight storeys (higher than other buildings in the area) and its proposed density of 373 units per hectare, which are eight units per hectare more than the City Gardens development now under construction a few blocks to the east.

rently hold two multi-family buildings (including the aforementioned Uplands) and three houses.

Plans are to remove one house and keep two others that have suites in them.

St., remove the single-family dwelling at 128 Columbia St., incorporate a portion of the rear yard of the single-family home at 136 Columbia St. and provide a three-level parking structure and at-grade parking containing 178 parking spaces.

The development site has street frontages on First Avenue and Columbia Street and is accessible from the lane running east-west to the north of the property.

City staff noted concerns with traffic accessing the lane between First and Second avenues, suggesting the entire lane be widened for two-way traffic and to avoid vehicles backing up on First or Second avenues.

The proposed development involves properties that cur-

The proposed consolidated development will incorporate the existing 11 units at 116 Columbia St., retain the existing 30-unit multi-family development at 683 First Ave., retain the existing single-family dwellings with suites at 653 First Ave., and 136 Columbia

City staff noted concerns with traffic accessing the lane between First and Second avenues, suggesting the entire lane be widened for two-way traffic and to avoid vehicles backing up on First or Second avenues.

The consolidated development will include a total of 171 multi-family units, with 56 studio units, 98 one-bedroom units and 17 two-bedroom units.

Staff also noted a second area of concern, that being the scale of the development, given its height of eight storeys (higher than other buildings in the area) and its proposed density of 373 units per hectare, which are eight units per hectare more than the City Gardens development now under construction a few blocks to the east.

The proposal comes with a bold, multi-colour design, with the concept adopted from Dutch artist Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan, a pioneer of 20thcentury abstract art.

The proposed consolidated development will incorporate the existing 11 units at 116 Columbia St., retain the existing 30-unit multi-family development at 683 First Ave., retain the existing single-family dwellings with suites at 653 First Ave., and 136 Columbia

St., remove the single-family dwelling at 128 Columbia St., incorporate a portion of the rear yard of the single-family home at 136 Columbia St. and provide a three-level parking structure and at-grade parking containing 178 parking spaces.

The consolidated development will include a total of 171 multi-family units, with 56 studio units, 98 one-bedroom units and 17 two-bedroom units.

The proposal comes with a bold, multi-colour design, with the concept adopted from Dutch artist Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan, a pioneer of 20thcentury abstract art.