Church scales back housing project in Oak Bay

The Oak Bay United Church has scaled back its proposal for affordable housing on its site to a point it hopes the community can approve.

The church is now proposing a four-storey apartment building and four three-storey townhomes for a total of 98 units on its 1.3-acre site. Trees would be maintained or enhanced, and underground parking with 113 stalls would be included.

Previous proposals ranged from 100 to 160 units and rose as high as four storeys.

“This is the best compromise we would come up with,” said Cheryl Thomas, chairwoman of the church’s property-development commission.

“It’s got a significant number of affordable units without totally overwhelming the property.”

The church is hoping the proposal will bring needed affordable housing to Oak Bay. The rents, starting at less than $1,000 per month, would make the complex self-sustaining and bring some money to operate the church.

But so far, the church has met stiff opposition in the neighbourhood. A lawn-sign campaign declaring: “STOP Over Development by the Oak Bay United Church” sprang up.

Susan MacRae, a Granite Street neighbour of the church, concedes she finds the new proposal an improvement. But MacRae would still like to see it smaller.

“They are definitely scaling back from what they proposed originally, but it still looks pretty big,” she said.

The church property is zoned institutional, and the Oak Bay official community plan calls for an increase in density for the area. However, the church has yet to approach the municipality about any needed permits or zoning changes.

The Oak Bay United Church dates back to 1914. Canada’s Historic Places website notes its Gothic Revival style and its stained glass windows. Under the proposal, several outbuildings would be taken down, but the historic church would be maintained.