Seems like a no-brainer in terms of approval. It's on a major public transit route and buildings of similar scale and massing are nearby.
I agree. The developer Abstract has submitted a design revision already based on community feedback and hosted several virtual community open houses (recorded for viewing later, which I think is extremely convenient and we should do this always!!) to explain more about the project and direct Q&A. But there's a lot of resistance to the project and pressure from the Quadra-Cedar Hill Community Association (QCHCA) to keep it to 4 stories.
This is the response from QCHCA with first letter (March 2019) to initial proposal and the second letter (September 2020) after the minor design update.
There are a number of concerns about environmental impact and increased traffic. But a focus seems to be an objection to the density of the project.
For convenience, quoting the QCHCA second letter here:
"The proposed density is a major concern–a proposed 77units replacing what were three single-family homes, an addition of 74 living units on the same square footage of land. A six-storey building would be in contravention of the OCP and Quadra Local Area Plan which limits multi-family buildings to four storeys in this location. Even if the OCP and LAP did provide for a greater height, this location at the intersection of Quadra and Palmer does not lend itself to anywhere near the proposed density. We also have significant concerns about the potential impacts of such an increase in density and the resultant traffic and safety issues.
...
When we wrote in March 2019 re this proposal, we listed as major issues and concerns density, height, neighbourhood scale and character and parking/traffic/safety issues. Reviewing Abstract’s resubmission against the original one, the minor changes do nothing to address the concerns raised. Additionally, the fact that our LAP updating process did not proceed as planned has added to the neighbourhood’s displeasure about a six-storey proposal that is deemed to be overly densified. A four-storey development might be more acceptable to the community."