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Townley Place Passivhaus
Use: rental
Address: 1780 Townley Street
Municipality: Saanich
Region: Urban core
Storeys: 3
Townley Place Passivhaus is a three-storey adaptable low income residence for seniors and persons with disabil... (view full profile)
Learn more about Townley Place Passivhaus on Citified.ca
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[Saanich] Townley Place | seniors apartments, townhomes | 4-storeys | approved


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#1 citizen

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Posted 04 May 2016 - 07:57 AM

The Greater Victoria Housing Society (GVHS) is transforming its existing low-income seniors housing property at 1780 Townley into a vibrant new community. The new Townley Place will provide low-income seniors housing within a Passivhaus designed apartment and affordable family townhouses. Passivhaus design provides the highest levels of building energy efficiency through the building envelope rather than mechanical heating and cooling systems, which are often expensive to maintain. With this renewal, the GVHS is establishing a new, not-for-profit, housing standard for functionality, energy efficiency, social interaction, and wellness.

The project will include contemporary planning principles of increased density and street vitality, and sustainable design features, such as walkability, diversity, health and wellness, food gardens, water conservation, solar orientation, natural ventilation, and energy efficiency.

Project Features

·       3 and 4-storey seniors apartment building designed to Passivhaus standard and purpose-built to meet the needs of seniors & people with disabilities; built to adaptable housing standards (replaces obsolete building with no elevator, poor accessibility & outdated bathrooms)

·       Increased opportunity for community residents to “age-in-place”

·       Low-moderate income family townhouses

·       Net increase of 28 affordable rental housing units

·       Durable, long lasting building systems, materials & construction methods, with reduced maintenance & operating costs. Reduced energy costs benefit lower income renters’ cost of housing.

·       Underground, on-site parking, Car sharing, bicycle & scooter storage, and tenant selection for reduced car ownership/dependency.

·       Smart increased density

·       Improved street vitality

·       Total on-site stormwater management in excess of the District of Saanich standards.

·       Raised gardens for food production

·       Internal walkway system & a new and improved streetscape and sidewalk along Townley Street

·       Net increase of new trees will contribute to the urban forestry resource.

·       Wood construction with an emphasis on local materials.

·       Project costs can be sustained by project rents.

Pending a successful rezoning, construction would start in the spring of 2017. 

Attached Images

  • 160421_tplace_site.jpg
  • 160421_tplace_elevation.jpg


#2 Mike K.

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Posted 06 May 2016 - 07:38 AM

Canada’s first “Passivhaus” seniors residence planned for Saanich

http://victoria.citi...ed-for-saanich/

 

The Greater Victoria Housing Society (GVHS) has unveiled plans for Canada's first "Passivhaus" seniors residence as it looks to expand and modernize its Townley Lodge affordable housing complex.

 

The non-profit society is seeking approvals from Saanich to replace an aging low-income seniors home at 1780 Townley Street. The largest of the proposal's four buildings will be constructed in accordance with standards developed by the global authority on ultra-efficient construction techniques, Germany's Passivhaus Institut (also referred to as Passivehouse Institute).

 

Dubbed Townley Place, GVHS envisions a replacement of the site's existing 39 suites with an adaptable 51-unit, four-storey low-income apartment building for seniors and persons with disabilities. Utilizing Passivhaus standards the society expects to realize a considerable operating and maintenance cost savings, according to project consultant Miko Betanzo, project manager and planner at Victoria-based Cityspaces Consulting. [Full article]

 

Townley-Place-May-2016.jpg


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#3 Miko Betanzo

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Posted 26 May 2016 - 01:13 PM

Check out this updated rendering. The three storey townhouses got moved to Townley street and the two storey townhouses are now abutting the rear properties. 

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  • 160513_FINAL RENDER.jpg

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#4 Mike K.

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Posted 26 May 2016 - 03:08 PM

Nice! That's looking pretty slick.


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#5 rozzbay

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Posted 01 September 2016 - 08:33 AM

Townley Place has received unanimous support from Saanich's Advisory Design Panel http://goo.gl/Iq5By3 . It is great to see community leaders and professionals standing behind a strong proposal. This project has great merit and will truly be a legacy project for Saanich and the greater CRD. The environmental considerations taken by the proponent should serve as a new baseline in Sustainable Saanich. Well done to all those involved! A real blow to the NIMBY narrative.
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#6 Mike K.

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Posted 01 September 2016 - 08:34 AM

Nice!

 

Thank you for the update.


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#7 rozzbay

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Posted 01 September 2016 - 09:52 AM

Found the project site: www.townleyplace.com

I didn't realize how big the existing site is. Surprised they didnt push planning for a little more density. 5 stories would be nice next to that Church.

#8 Nparker

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Posted 01 September 2016 - 09:59 AM

...Surprised they didn't push planning for a little more density...

I think some form of this sentiment is written into the city charter of each of the CRD's municipalities.



#9 Mike K.

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Posted 01 September 2016 - 02:00 PM

Townley-Place-Passivhaus.jpg

 

Saanich design panel supports Canada's first "Passivehaus" seniors residence

http://victoria.citi...iors-residence/


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#10 nagel

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Posted 28 October 2016 - 06:31 AM

This got postponed by Saanich.  15 NIMBYs and 3 in support, scared off council.  Apparently it was the horrid 4 storeys.

 

Next up on the Saanich NIMBY circuit should be Cordova Bay, where the pitchforks are being sharpened over the redevelopment plans for the plaza as I type.


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#11 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 28 October 2016 - 07:22 AM

So has the shelving happened at the same time as the provincial funding announcement?

 

Confusing.

 

http://www.saanichne.../398771881.html

 

Saanich affordable housing development runs into stiff opposition

 

 

 

 

Saanich: 40 units for low-income adults in the workforce constructed with the help of $3 million in capital funding to the Greater Victoria Housing Society. Construction expected to begin in summer 2017 with completion projected for late 2018.

 

http://www.timescolo...jects-1.2379938


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#12 Mike K.

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Posted 28 October 2016 - 07:51 AM

Right, this is all a little unclear at the moment.


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#13 nagel

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Posted 28 October 2016 - 07:56 AM

Right, this is all a little unclear at the moment.

Officially the public hearing is postponed and the project is not shelved but practically it may be dead if the numbers don't make sense anymore, given the need to now chop height off these units.

 

I'm not surprised 15 people came out against.  I'm surprised that was enough to give council cold feet.



#14 Mike K.

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Posted 28 October 2016 - 08:05 AM

Good Lord.

Our region is so fundamentally at odds with reality sometimes. This is a social housing project for seniors and young families. How could council even consider putting the project in this position? Time is money, and a lowering of units just means they'll have to go elsewhere.
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#15 nagel

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Posted 30 October 2016 - 03:49 PM

I spoke to one of the guys who was involved with this and it's now totally dead because of the council decision.

#16 Nparker

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Posted 30 October 2016 - 04:12 PM

And I am sure if you asked any of the NIMBYs they'd say they are 100% in favour of social housing, but this isn't the "right project" for this location. Pathetic. :whyme:


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#17 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 30 October 2016 - 04:18 PM

And I am sure if you asked any of the NIMBYs they'd say they are 100% in favour of social housing, but this isn't the "right project" for this location. Pathetic. :whyme:

 

They said exactly that.  One said the only problem was the height, another one said it was great anywhere but there. 


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#18 Nparker

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Posted 30 October 2016 - 05:02 PM

They said exactly that.  One said the only problem was the height, another one said it was great anywhere but there. 

That's the thing about NIMBYs; they are entirely predictable.


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#19 aastra

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Posted 30 October 2016 - 05:32 PM

Support tends to be specific whereas opposition tends to be generic. If you like it, you probably like it because of what it is, but if you don't like it then you probably don't really care what it is. That sort of thing. Not always, of course. But often.


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#20 aastra

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Posted 30 October 2016 - 05:38 PM

That's how you get mired in those endless sagas whereby a proposal is modified again and again over many months or even many years. It's just a futile effort to satisfy a generic opposition that doesn't even care about the particulars of the modifications.


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