District of 麻豆社国产officials have paved the way for a new development in the Loggers East neighbourhood.
At the June 6 council meeting, mayor and council voted unanimously in favour of authorizing a development permit for a 25-unit development slated for 1039 Finch Dr.
The application from local developer 麻豆社国产EcoVille Ltd. calls for two market rental units, two affordable rental units, and 21 ownership townhomes, confirmed COO and founder Geoff Forrester. A total of 23 units are proposed as three-bedroom townhomes, while two are two-bedroom townhomes.
Both Mayor Armand Hurford and Councillor Jenna Stoner spoke highly of the mix of market and affordable rental units put forth by the applicant.
“We all know that there's a dire need for below-market housing in our community and I think that this goes a long way to try and incorporate those units into a relatively small-scale development,” said Stoner.
Among the community amenities proposed for the site are a public plaza slated for the north end of the site, adjacent to Finch Dr., which will feature a covered gathering area, a child’s play area, and a basketball court.
Renderings of the design also showed a number of solar panels on the roofs of the buildings. In the District’s staff report, 麻豆社国产EcoVille noted they plan to use bifacial solar panels, which generate power from either side.
At a June 2022 council meeting, the CEO of 麻豆社国产EcoVille, Yoga Yogendran, spoke about the environmental aspects of the development, which include no natural gas use and electricity generated onsite.
“I find this to be an exciting development that delivers solar technology on a level that we really haven't seen yet in Squamish,” said Coun. John French at Tuesday’s meeting.
Mayor Armand Hurford called the project “innovative” and said he was excited to see it move forward.
Coun. Chris Pettingill noted he was wary of its close location to the proposed FortisBC pipeline.
“I still have very serious concerns, given the lack of risk information provided by Fortis, and putting more density along that road in such close proximity to where the pipeline is proposed,” he said.
Still, Pettingill voted in favour of proceeding with the development permit.
“All in all, I think this development brings some good things to the table,” he added.
For more information about the development, you can view a recording of the council meeting on the District’s YouTube page at . Further information is available from the developer at .
