City staff pan low-cost housing project
By Bill Cleverley, Times Colonist April 19, 2012 5:56 AM
A proposal to convert a Rock Bay motel into low-cost rental housing is being recommended for rejection by Victoria planning staff.
2828 Rock Bay Joint Ventures wants to convert the existing three-storey, 41-unit former Traveller's Inn at 2828 Rock Bay Ave., adjacent to the Cool Aid Society's purpose-built Rock Bay Landing shelter, into 55 rental units. The new units, aimed at working singles, would range from 221.4 square feet to 551 square feet and would rent from $600 to $750 a month. The additional units could be provided without expanding the building's footprint because there is undeveloped space within the building.
But city staff are suggesting it not be forwarded to public hearing for a number of reasons.
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The application comes as the city is undertaking $1.7 million in renovations to its own former Traveller's Inn at 710 Queens Ave. - now called Queens Manor - to convert it into 36 units of supportive housing. That project came under the spotlight during last November's municipal election, after council rejected an application by developer Mike Kelly to convert his former Traveller's Inn at 3025 Douglas St. into low-income rental apartments.
One of the reasons Bill forgot to mention in the article is that City Council feels that it is in the best position to create and administer low-cost housing and that private sector developers are evil and sacrifice kittens to maximize returns. Oh, and that the City is no way being hypocritical at all, nope.