114 and 118 Sprice Street

Project Update, June 27, 2023: At its regular meeting on June 26, 2023, Council gave First, Second, and Third Readings to the Rezoning Bylaw. Click here to review the Council report and meeting recording. 

Project Update, June 15, 2023: At its regular meeting on June 12, 2023, Council voted to consider the rezoning for this project, and decided that no Public Hearing will be held. Click here to review the report to Council and access the recording of the meeting. Click here to review a summary of the consultation that was conducted for this project. Council will consider giving First, Second and Third Readings to the Bylaw at an upcoming meeting.

What's being proposed?

Rezoning, Development Variance Permit, and Development Permit applications have been received to allow the development of 10 single-detached houses on compact lots on the properties located at 114 and 118 Sprice Street in Queensborough.

The development is proposed to consist of houses that are two storeys in height, measured from the flood construction level of 3.53 m (11.53 ft). The applicant is proposing two different housing styles (Type A and Type B) to provide more flexibility in the housing form.

Type A houses propose to include single-storey flex/living space at the rear of the house, accessed via an enclosed hallway with the intention of providing private space for extended family or for a home office. The proposed Floor Space Ratio (FSR) for the principal house is 0.63 FSR.

Type B houses propose a studio space above the double garage, accessed from the backyard, with views to the lane and the main house. The proposed Floor Space Ratio (FSR) for the principal house is 0.53 FSR.

Development Variance Permits are being requested as the proposed plans do not conform with the zoning regulations in the following ways:

• The site frontage for all houses is more narrow than permitted;
• The height of the Type B detached garages is higher than permitted.

The proposed site plan would require the creation of two new lanes: one east/west lane, which would provide access to a north/south lane. Parking for each lot would be provided in an enclosed garage at the rear of the site.

The applicants hosted an Open House with on December 13, 2022 and written feedback was accepted until December 20, 2022. Based on the feedback received, the applicants worked with the City to revise their drawings to reflect the community’s comments. Click here to view the revised architectural drawings and click here to view the landscape drawings of the proposed residential units. You can also review drawings of the original proposal here.

How can I engage?

There are multiple opportunities for the public to provide feedback through the application review process. The review process is iterative and revisions are considered, based on engagement feedback, throughout the process. The process will first involve applicant-led consultation, followed by revisions based on the feedback, and City-led consultation conducted prior to the proposal being presented to Council for consideration of approval.

City-led Consultation

City-led consultation on the revised plan has now concluded. The City-led consultation is intended to offer the opportunity for public input before the project proposal is finalized and presented to Council for consideration of approval.

This City-led consultation may potentially take the place of the Public Hearing. When Council considers this project for approval, anticipated in spring 2023, they will decide if a Public Hearing is needed.

The final staff report to Council will include a summary of the feedback received during both the applicant and City-led consultation processes, as well as any feedback submitted directly to staff during the project review process. This report will be posted on this page once it is available.

Applicant-led Consultation

The applicants hosted an in-person open house on Tuesday, December 13, 2022. Attendees were given an opportunity to learn more about the project, provide comments, and ask questions. Survey responses and written feedback were accepted until December 20, 2022. The feedback has been reviewed by staff and will be made publicly available in the forthcoming report to Council (not yet scheduled), prior to their consideration of whether to support the project.

City staff has summarized the feedback received during applicant-led consultation, with the primary comments expressed relating to the following:

• Support for diversity in single-detached housing options in Queensborough.
• The addition of flex space provides flexibility.
• Support for the variance to increase the height of Type B detached garages as long as it doesn’t obstruct views or inconvenience neighbours.
• Support for the variance to reduce the minimum frontage width.
• The building design is modern while being compatible with the surrounding neighborhood context.
• Consideration should be given to traffic during construction, especially along Sprice Street.