Nanaimo city council's approval for re-zoning properties near the Linley Valley Drive and Rutherford Road intersection will help clear the way for a 69-unit row housing development.
The re-zoning application, originally filed by Placemark Design Studio on behalf of Rutherford Crestview Developments in December 2023, came before city council Monday, June 16, to re-zone properties at 5190 and 5196 and a portion of 5200 Rutherford Road from steep-slope residential designation to row house residential.
“In this case, a public hearing is prohibited as the proposal is residential, so [we're] prohibited from holding a public hearing under the provincial [Bill 47] legislation,” said Jeremy Holm, city director of planning and development.
Council expressed some concerns over proposed vehicle access to the development, which included right turn in, right turn out from Rutherford Road and a second “full movement” access from Linley Valley Drive.
The community amenity contribution from the developers includes a park dedication and trail connection on the southern portion of the property, plus off-site improvements that include creating a raised pedestrian crossing on Linley Valley Drive, east of the Rutherford Road roundabout, all of which are part of the conditions to be met for re-zoning.
Coun. Sheryl Armstrong said that during a public safety committee meeting, concerns were raised about pedestrian and cycling safety near the roundabout. Those concerns were reiterated by councillors Janice Perrino and Ben Geselbracht.
“With this new project is there an opportunity to engage with the developer to improve that intersection so that it eliminates some of the concerns that we’ve heard?” Armstrong asked.
Holm said the raised crosswalk would improve pedestrian safety and slow down vehicles on Linley Valley Drive and there are also frontage improvements proposed for Rutherford Road.
“Overall, it would improve pedestrian safety in the area and that was something that was identified as a community concern as well as a technical concern through the staff review,” Holm said.
He added that the roundabout has also been identified for improvements due to higher-than-anticipated traffic volumes than when it was designed.
Council had no questions for development project manager Keven Fulmer and property owner Scott Lamont and passed the re-zoning bylaw unanimously in three readings.
