Torn between supporting efforts to increase housing and fearing the city’s capacity to deliver, Nelson Mayor Janice Morrison voted against a zoning amendment for a 50-unit affordable housing complex on Front Street.
Council passed the first three readings of an amendment to its Official Community Plan (OCP) to change the land use designation for the City-owned Front Street property located beside the Nelson and District Community Complex.
Nelson CARES wants to use the site to develop a 50-unit affordable housing complex, which is still awaiting provincial approval.
The original proposal included a recreation component alongside the affordable housing development, but the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) opted against donating its land to support the project last week.
Despite the RDCK’s decision, the City moved forward with the proposed OCP amendment and rezoning, following a public hearing and special council meeting held on Monday.
The land is currently zoned for institutional use, but with the amendment, it can now accommodate residential and recreation developments.
The motion passed narrowly, 3-2, with Councillors Jesse Piniero and Rik Logtenberg absent.
Those in support included Councillors Keith Page, Jesse Woodward, and Leslie Payne, while Councillor Kate Taite and Mayor Janice Morrison voted against.
Taite’s concerns largely centred around the number of housing projects the City currently has in the “pipeline,” noting the Culos Development on Lakeside Drive, the Chamber of Commerce’s Railtown Housing project, the Waterview Senior Living Resort on Vernon Street, among others.
“I will always advocate for using our current square footage more optimally, and I don’t think we’re doing that yet. As we look at what things are already in the pipeline, we might not recognize how good of an impact that will have.”
Mayor Janice Morrison echoed Taite’s comments, acknowledging the local housing shortage but blaming the provincial and federal governments for putting too much pressure on municipalities to solve it.
“I truly believe that the provincial and federal governments have contributed grossly to the housing shortage we have now, and as with many things, this has now been left to municipalities to scramble to build more housing once again – with limited resources and very few financial ways to do it.”
Morrison supports expanding the potential use of the property, but says she feels uncomfortable with this particular project being the trigger.
“The fact that we’re expanding the uses of the property. I like that. But the fact that the trigger is then that a project is going through I’m struggling with at this time.”
“And then I worry about the number of projects getting carried out. I wonder about workforce, in terms of bringing people on to help with just capacity. Do we have the workforce and the skilled trades here? I worry about that.”
Morrison praised Nelson CARES as the best housing operator the city could have but also expressed concern about whether the organization has the capacity to operate all the projects it has underway.
“They’re involved with the North Shore Inn, and I’m hoping they will put in a bid to operate 45 Government Road too, because I want a local operator. But how much capacity do these organizations have to continue to take on all of this work?”
While she knows her vote may be unpopular with some community members, Morrison made it clear she is not against providing housing, she just believes the City needs to slow down some of its plans.
“I want to make it clear, because there will be those in the town that say, ‘you went against housing because your family was all about recreation’ – it’s just that there are drawbacks that I see, so I’m conflicted. I just think we need to make sure we can do what’s already on the books.”
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