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Developer calls on Oak Bay council to revisit The Quest

Proposal failed to get to a public hearing during March 14 meeting

The woman behind the quest for a new build on Oak Bay Avenue hopes council will reconsider a motion it denied that would have sent the project to public hearing.

The redevelopment proposed by Large & Co. included demolishing an existing home and replacing it with a 14-unit multi-family building known as The Quest. The proposal required site-specific comprehensive development zoning to allow for setbacks, parking, and building height as compared to existing policy.

The latest vision for The Quest failed to hit public hearing in Oak Bay after council narrowly voted it down March 14.

Kim Colpman of Large & Co. hopes council will keep the application alive with a council procedure bylaw that allows the body to revisit a motion. The mayor or a member who voted on the prevailing side, may at any time within 30 days of the vote, introduce a motion to reconsider a matter. A motion can only be reconsidered once under this section.

RELATED: Proposed Quest development for Oak Bay Avenue denied

Colpman expected the project would go to public hearing, in part because it had support of staff and the advisory planning commission. She hopes council will take the opportunity and allow her to get more clarity on, and potentially address, the feedback provided at the March 14 meeting.

Different proposals for the site date back years. The latest plan for the single-family lot, which sits between multi-storey residential buildings on Oak Bay Avenue, included four storeys, 14 units and 14 underground parking spaces. Previously proposed shared rooftop amenities were removed and a revised landscape and parking plan retained the large Garry oak tree on a neighbouring property.

The proposed condo units included three one-bedroom units, three two-bedroom, four one-bedroom plus den and four two-bedroom plus den, ranging in size from 710 to 1,152 square feet, each with outdoor space.

These are the types of housing people are specifically seeking to downsize from a single-family home, Colpman said. That in turn would provide some movement in the housing market.

Oak Bay has a special closed council meeting on its agenda for April 4 and a regularly scheduled council meeting set for April 11.

Visit oakbay.civicweb.net for meeting times, agendas and participation options.


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Christine van Reeuwyk

About the Author: Christine van Reeuwyk

I'm dedicated to serving the community of Oak Bay as a senior journalist with the Greater Victoria news team.
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