Development on the high-profile piece of land next to Qualicum Beach town hall could be starting soon.
At Monday’s (May 1) council meeting, Qualicum Beach council adopted the bylaw amendment for the Berwick Retirement Facility, despite councillors Barry Avis and Anne Skipsey voting against the motion. Council also authorized staff to issue a development permit, with Avis and Skipsey again voting no.
The Berwick facility is a 94-unit, multi-residential seniors’ development at 120 First Ave. W. The building would include nine studio units, 72 one-bedroom units and 14 two-bedroom units. There would also be other amenities including a health and fitness room, bar, rooftop greenhouse and a games area.
Skipsey said the location for Berwick, which is adjacent to the town hall, isn’t the right location for the facility.
“A building with this mass and five storeys in this location is not keeping with the small-town character of our town,” Skipsey said.
She added the old building supply store, near the corner of Fir Street and Second Avenue East, could have been an option for Berwick. Skipsey also said Berwick is housing for only one demographic which is “adding to the demographic divide in this community.”
Coun. Neil Horner said Berwick’s owners have not expressed interest in the building supply store.
“I also hear some members of the community arguing that we should be building things for young people, not the elderly. Well, I believe it is our job to support the people who live here, not the people that some people might wish lived here,” Horner said.
Avis wondered aloud what a building of Berwick’s size would do to the downtown core.
Coun. Bill Luchtmeijer responded by saying it would add shoppers to the downtown core.
“I wonder how many of the businesses downtown are going to be ruined by 90-some extra shoppers on a regular basis in their downtown core,” Luchtmeijer said.
Luchtmeijer also said that while Berwick hasn’t “ticked all the boxes” such as youth accommodation or affordable housing, Berwick has ticked the boxes on rental housing and allowing a large number of residential units to be vacated once locals move in.
“What more can we ask for? We can’t force people to move here,” Luchtmeijer said. “We can’t force people to live in substandard housing.
“People are going to make those decisions outside of this chamber, but when you give them the offer of rental housing — and it’s going to be expensive rental housing — but if you can afford it and you want to do it and you want to vacate some real estate in our area, it’s a win for everyone.”
The next regular council meeting is May 29 at 7 p.m.