A broad range of housing choices, rentals, child-care spaces and substantial tree buffers are the selling points for a proposed 390-unit condo development on Taylorwood Place in the Cedardale area of West Vancouver.
The development by architect Michael Geller plans to rezone a 6.5-acre site from existing single-family homes to make way for 390 condos in four six-storey and one five-storey buildings.
As many as 60 per cent or 240 condos will be market housing; the remaining 40 per cent will be purpose built rentals. While the majority of the units would be market rentals, there is a possibility of further subsidies on the rentals, developer says.
Some of the condos will also be permitted to include small lock-off suites, which would be suitable for an adult child or caregiver seeking to live in close proximity to the homeowner.
The developer is also proposing indoor children’s play spaces as well as a child care, although the size and scale have yet to be determined. Most of the parking is underground, and the precise number of parking spaces has yet to be determined.
A previous rezoning application by Polygon for 160 condos and town homes was rejected in 2010 because of concerns raised by the community at that time. District staff was supportive of the new project due to its closeness to transit and amenities such as Park Royal. “The proposal supports the housing objectives in the OCP as it would deliver new purpose-built rental housing in a location close to transit and amenities.”
The developer, Michael Geller, said the council seemed willing to accept rezoning applications which offered “significant” community benefits, and the Taylorwood Place proposal met the criterion.
Geller said the units would appeal to local workers who could not find affordable housing elsewhere in the community as well as to young families who sought well-designed multi-family housing close to schools and transit. It would also work for empty nesters in West Vancouver who want to downsize but are unable to find suitable housing. “Given the location, 6.56-acre size and surrounding uses, this property is unique, not only along the Taylor Way Corridor, but anywhere in West Vancouver,” he said.
Geller said the community had demonstrated a high level of support for the project, especially the immediate neighbours. But some community members had expressed their concern to the council.
“I am not in support of this development. It is simply a developer’s dream, and the community is left with a mess to navigate. It also seems the community consultation is mostly held in the summer months when many are on summer holidays,” wrote one Cedardale resident.
Council watcher Graham McIsaac said the project was being presented with no data on the rental market in West Vancouver at a time when more rental properties were available and some were approved. He said the project also added to a very bad traffic situation on Taylor Way and Lions Gate Bridge.
“In significantly changing the character of neighbourhoods, we need to ensure community support for such changes. Such changes should NOT occur based on ad hoc developer proposals but only through complete and thorough community consultation,” he said.
Further public consultation is expected before a formal rezoning application comes forward before council.
This construction would only add to the traffic bottle neck that is Taylor Way on a regular basis. The Engineering department report submitted to a recent meeting was way out of date.