A 135-unit rental building will be coming to the site of the old Esquimalt bingo hall after council voted unanimously in favour of the development following a public hearing Monday (July 17).
Proposed by Denciti Development Corp, the multi-family residential building will consolidate 820 Esquimalt Rd. — a former bingo hall which has been closed since March 2020 — and two single-family dwellings at 833 and 837 Old Esquimalt Rd.
The new development will contain 64 one-bedroom units, 63 two-bedroom units, six three-bedroom units and two live-work spaces for a total of 135 residential units and two commercial spaces.
The building will reach six storeys bordering Esquimalt Road and will step down to four storeys in front of Old Esquimalt Road. An underground parkade will contain 136 stalls, including 14 visitor stalls.
Denciti President David Fawley noted the development is located in “an excellent location within the township” in a walkable area served by three major bus routes and along a corridor considered to be a “biker’s paradise.”
Following feedback from staff and council, the application presented Monday night saw two significant changes from the initial May 2022 application with the inclusion of two live-work units and the relocation parkade entrance from Esquimalt Road to Old Esquimalt Road.
Two ground-floor live-work units were introduced along Esquimalt Road and will include separate commercial and residential spaces to provide flexibility for small and home businesses including therapists, artists and hairdressers, according to the applicant’s report.
“This allows for home-based businesses woven into the fabric of the community to get out of the bedroom and out of the basement,” Fawley said.
The relocation of the parkade entrance to Old Esquimalt Road was based on staff engineering reports that highlighted the former entrance has a nearby bend in the road and a higher volume of vehicle and pedestrian traffic, leading to concerns about challenged sightlines and turning traffic into the parkade.
Staff noted Old Esquimalt Road’s heritage designation will not cause any restrictions for the parkade entrance.
Several residents at the public hearing raised concerns about pre-existing parking challenges along the 800-block of Esquimalt Road, stating the 136 stalls for 135 units, equating to less than one stall per unit, will cause significant overflow and put even further strain on current street parking challenges.
While acknowledging residents’ concerns about parking and traffic, council was in agreement that the development would provide the township with much-needed density amid the housing crisis.
“While it’s not perfect, I think most of the benefits of this building outweigh the (parking and traffic) concerns,” Coun. Jacob Helliwell said.
Council added it will continue to work with residents to address traffic and parking concerns in the township as they come up.
“The crux of the issue is how we prevent buildings like this from impacting existing neighbours and existing properties,” Coun. Duncan Cavens said.
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