Bowker hearing expected to draw a crowd
Oak Bay has booked space at the Oak Bay High for a public hearing tonight into Abstract Developments’ proposed Bowker development.
“Any large project garners interest in Oak Bay,” said Mayor Nils Jensen. Other than the Clive, a 17-unit, three-storey rental building at the corner of Oak Bay Avenue and Clive Drive, approved by council in 2014, there hasn’t been any significant multi-residential development in Oak Bay in the past five years.
“I don’t think that you can have a project anywhere, in any community, that doesn’t have people that would oppose it, and sometimes for good reasons,” Jensen said. “Everyone has got their opinions on size and shape — regardless of the nature of the project.”
Abstract wants to replace three single-family homes, and duplex and commercial office space located on a triangular parcel of land at Cadboro Bay Road and Bowker Avenue with a four-storey, mixed-use condominium project.
The 73,790-square-foot building would have 43 units and include 7,700 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor, which could accommodate six businesses, including a restaurant or café fronting onto Cadboro Bay Road. There would be a landscaped plaza or patio open to the public.
Some residents have already expressed concerns about the project.
The citizens group Oak Bay Watch is encouraging residents to speak out against the project, which it says is too big for the lot, will add to safety concerns at the intersection and does not provide adequate parking.
Abstract has agreed to pay $100,000 for improvements to the intersection to address safety concerns about increased traffic.
The developer is planning upgrades along Cadboro Bay Road, including widening the sidewalk for pedestrian traffic and recessing of street parking to allow a potential bike lane.
Plans call for 59 underground parking stalls, including 52 for residents, six for businesses and one for visitors, as well as parking for 77 bicycles and 10 scooters or motorcycles.
The condo sizes Abstract is proposing would range from a onebedroom plus a den at 700 square feet to a two-bedroom with a den at 1,300 square feet. Two of the units would be live-work.
The building would have no rental restrictions and a covenant to ensure a restaurant or café goes into the main commercial space.
Two public hearings are scheduled for tonight’s meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. at Oak Bay High, 2121 Cadboro Bay Rd. The first is a proposal to allow bicycle rentals and bicycle tours at the Oak Bay Marina and the second for the Bowker development.