A proposed subdivision in the Glenbrook North neighbourhood is making its way through city hall.
Staff recently presented council with the a preliminary report about a proposed rezoning of 201 Durham St. that would allow the site to be subdivided into two lots. The property’s owners are proposing to demolish the existing 1942 house on the site, create two lots with 10 metre (33 foot) frontages and build two two-storey plus basement homes.
According to a staff report, the 33 properties in the 200 and 300 blocks of Durham Street have diverse lot and building characteristics. Four of the lots have frontages that are identical or narrower than the proposed frontage at 210 Durham St.
Coun. Chuck Puchmayr said he’s willing to keep an open mind about the application, but has some concerns about the proposal’s impact on the streetscape and neighbourhood. He’s not convinced the proposal will fit in with the street and neighbourhood.
Puchmayr told council he is worried about the potential for setting a precedent and opening the “floodgates” for developers to buy similarly configured lots and build homes that don’t support the characteristics of the neighbourhood.
“I am certainly concerned about the direction this development would go,” he said.
With infill housing set to be explored in the update to the official community plan, Coun. Mary Trentadue asked how this proposal would fit in with that plan.
Bev Grieve, the city’s director of development services, said this application is being dealt with under the current official community plan guidelines. She said that council directed staff not to hold up these types of subdivision applicants while the OCP update is underway.
Council received a report about the application at its March 2 meeting. The next steps in the process including having the applicant making presentations to the city’s advisory planning commission and the Glenbrook North Residents’ Association and holding a public open house.
