Crescent Ave property rezoned for multi-unit development

By Nikki Jamieson
Sunny South news

Picture Butte town council has approved a rezoning to allow for a new multi-unit building.Bylaw 909-21 is aimed to amend the town’s Land-Use Bylaw to rezone the land at 140 Crescent Avenue North from Residential (R1) to Residential Multi-Unit (R5), to allow for the development of a multi-unit residential building. The rezoning would allow the applicant to develop a fourunit building with ground-level entrances for each unit on the east and west sides of the building.

A multi-unit building of up to four units is a permitted-use under the R5 land-use district.

According to the Future Housing Policy of the town’s Municipal Development Plan Bylaw, “Developers should be encouraged to provide a diversity of housing types.” Located north of the site is the town boundary and the Picture Butte Reservoir, and located east is zoned Highway Commercial (C2) and developed with commercial uses. West and south of the site is land zoned as zoned R1 and developed with single detached dwellings. The site is not within the boundaries of any area structure plans or area re-development plans, and the proposed rezoning sees the development of a vacant site and would provide additional housing options in the community.

The town received one written submission against the bylaw from a nearby business owner, who was against the proposed unit for the property, as they felt the property was too small for the proposed four-units planned for the proposed building and would cause parking issues in the area.

Oldman River Regional Services Commission (ORRSC) planner Madeleine Baldwin said there will be two parking spots per unit located on-site for the proposed development, and “shouldn’t really affect on-street parking.”

“Whenever we get a development permit application, we don’t count on-street parking as part of the required parking for developments,” said Baldwin. “No one really owns the street and we can’t count on those spots.”

As there would be space on the lot to accommodate parking, Baldwin said she didn’t have concerns with it.

CAO Keith Davis said if the property does get rezoned to R5, the proposed multi-unit development would be a permitted-use for the property, so as long as the development meets setbacks, parking requirements and other requirements pertaining to the land-use district. Adjacent land owners won’t be notified when they issue the development permit.

Council passed second, third and final reading of Bylaw 909-21.

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