Simpson Street rezoning divides council

Proposed rezoning for 411 and 501 Simpson St. took up a majority of the March 26 council meeting. With staff working to finalize the Zoning Bylaw Comprehensive Re-write Project, the possible rezoning could either stick the property into a zone category that would soon be defunct or put the property in a proposed zone category that Revelstoke residents have yet to review and comment on.

Rezoning the area could be done through two different bylaws according to city planner Paul Simon. The first step would be to create a new Multi-Unit Row-House Zone (R6) for the area, and then rezone the property from Special Low Density Residential Zone (R2A) to the Multi-Unit Rowhouse Zone (R6) to accommodate the development of proposed row house dwellings and auxiliary units.

New density regulations and future zoning were kept in mind with staff’s proposal for the unit. Currently, lot density is measured by units per hectare (UPH), which calculates the number of units on a site. Staff are working towards floor area ratio (FAR) measurements as a way to calculate density through floor area used. 

“When we look at regulating multi-unit development, everything is shifting to FAR now,” Simon explained. “We’ve known for a long time now that when you regulate based on UPH you’re capping the maximum number of units you’re going to see on that site. Developers are then incentivised to make those units as expensive as they can be.”

Moving to FAR measurements allows for better regulation of the overall units, incentivises smaller footprints and encourages more affordable housing.

Reworking the property for higher density units aligns with Revelstoke’s official community plan (OCP), including its location in the Southside neighbourhood.

“Southside, if you recall when we did the OCP in 2022, was noted as our most viable neighbourhood to support infill development,” Simon said, noting that current infrastructure, access to amenities and future plans for the area make it a key place to develop.

Currently provincial legislation restricts public hearings for residential rezoning applications that align with a municipality’s OCP, meaning a public hearing on the project isn’t feasible. But a developer-led public information meeting for the project could be used to provide community members with more information on the proposed development.

Approving this rezoning for 411 and 501 Simpson St. would essentially put the project ahead of the future bylaw changes created in the upcoming zoning bylaw rewrite.

Public feedback and engagement was brought up as a concern by Coun. Tim Stapenhurst, who wondered if residents would see an early adoption of R6 zoning as skirting the planned coffee meetings allowing residents to give feedback on proposed zoning changes to their areas.

However, the project would comply with the recently updated Revelstoke OCP, Coun. Matt Cherry noted, which many community members had input on. 

Coun. Aaron Orlando expressed concerns that that one approval could potentially open up opportunities for other projects, thus taking time away from staff who have already noted their stretched resources.

“My concern is this is going to be the first of several of them,” Orlando said. “And it could be detrimental to the adoption of the comprehensive zoning bylaw.”

Simon noted that staff have worked to restructure cumbersome zoning bylaws to clear up confusion and streamline zoning regulations. Seeing as adding R6 was the most likely move forward, he encouraged getting ahead of rezoning with the 411 and 501 Simpson St.

“If this is the route we’re going to recommend going, let’s do it,” Simon said. “I see this as a very standard zone in our zoning. We should have had this a decade and a half ago. If we had stuff like this in our bylaw we might not be in the housing crunch that we’re in now.”

Coun. Orlando and Coun. Stapenhurst opposed second and third reading of the bylaw. Coun. Orlando, Coun. Stapenhurst and Coun. Palmer opposed the adoption of zoning amendment bylaw No. 2378.