Peter Shokeir | [email protected]
Parks Canada offered clarification about the “misconceptions” regarding the variances granted to a rental housing development on Connaught Drive.
This comes in response to a number of comments that Parks Canada has received about the project over the past several months.
The variances allow the 144-unit project to exceed the maximum building height by 3.67 metres, reduce the size of each unit by 15 per cent and lower the number of required parking stalls from 159 to 125.
However, Parks Canada explained in a Nov. 5 update that the roofline would be at the same elevation as a three-storey building, due to the slope of the lot, when viewed at street level on Connaught Drive.
“This approach enabled the proponent to create a walkout basement level suitable for additional rental units that would not be visible from the street,” Parks Canada said.
The lower number of parking stalls was allowed with the condition that the developer work with the Municipality of Jasper to identify opportunities to provide more parking stalls.
“The proponent reasoned the proximity of the apartments to the town’s central business district and services would attract residents with less need of a vehicle as has been done in many other communities,” Parks Canada said.
“It is common in many municipalities to reduce parking requirements for developments close to downtown and in our community, active transportation will play an increasingly important role to help to resolve the housing crisis.”
As for reducing the size of the units from 90 to 76.38 square metres, Parks Canada said this would enable more housing units overall.
Located at 801 Connaught Drive, this new housing will be high density and rentals only.
The project is part of the community’s push for more affordable housing.
In June, the Planning and Development Advisory Committee (PDAC) held a public consultation on the variances, where it heard from the developer and those in attendance.
Based on PDAC’s recommendations, Parks Canada approved the variances with some conditions.
Helen Schwarz, a senior who lives near the development, has since started a petition calling for Parks Canada to revoke the variances.
As of Nov. 5, the petition had over 400 signatures with a goal of 1,000.
“It’s just unbelievable how many people would be in those buildings so crowded and so not nice,” Schwarz said.
Schwarz clarified that her petition was not against the project and that Jasper needed affordable housing, but added how the variances would cause overcrowding and parking issues.
“Our town is going to be in terrible shock if this goes through. That’s why everybody is up in arms now, and the petition is going so well.”
The petition can be signed at the Jasper General Store and several other physical locations downtown.
