District of North Vancouver council will consider issuing a development permit next week for an 81-unit affordable rental building in Maplewood, advancing a project years in the making on District-owned land.
Council will review a development permit for the Riverside Affordable Housing project at its July 13 meeting, with staff to recommend approval. According to the report, Integra Architecture applied on behalf of Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation (MVHC) to build a six-storey rental building on land the District rezoned in 2021 specifically for affordable housing.
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MVHC, one of the province’s largest non-profit housing providers, will sign a 60-year lease and target families, seniors and people with disabilities. Units will range from studios to three-bedroom suites, with 30 percent geared to income and the rest rented 10 to 20 percent below market rate. According to the report, all proposed rents will sit well below current median rents in the District.
The project includes a single-level underground parkade with 59 vehicle stalls and 135 bicycle spaces. Access will run through a new lane off Old Dollarton Road, since direct entry from Riverside Drive—an arterial truck route—will not be permitted.
Staff will recommend two minor variances: a small setback reduction and additional small car parking stalls, both tied to site constraints.
The proposal will also clear environmental hurdles linked to the site’s Creek Hazard and Natural Environment designations. According to the report, a Qualified Professional confirmed no streams or wetlands exist on-site, exempting the project from streamside protection rules. About 125 trees will come down, including five hazard trees, with roughly 120 replacement trees planted on-site and elsewhere in the District.
The Advisory Design Panel recommended approval in January, pending design refinements staff say have since been made. Public consultation drew 18 submissions, with most respondents supportive, though some raised concerns over parking and traffic.
