The City of Surrey is reviewing four properties within downtown Cloverdale as a potential location for a major supportive housing project.
The proposal is to build a four-storey building with 60 units of supportive housing, in addition to staff offices, a medical room and communal areas on site.
The project would combine four, city-owned properties at 5829, 5819 and 5811 176A Street and 17635 58 Avenue into two lots for the development of the supportive housing. The sites include the Cloverdale Mini Rec Centre, which provides child care, a house and a parking lot.
Supportive housing is defined by BC Housing as “subsidized housing with on-site supports” that help residents “find and maintain housing stability.” Residents can be eligible for supportive housing if they are low-income, are homeless or at risk of homelessness, or require mental health or substance abuse supports.
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Travis Baker, of Cloverdale’s Denco Cycle, which is immediately adjacent to the site, sent a letter to City of Surrey planner Helen Chan outlining concerns that the project would impact Cloverdale businesses, and cause safety concerns among local residents.
“I feel that this type of facility is better suited to an industrial area on the outskirts of town,” Baker wrote, before referring to Cloverdale’s Bill Reid Memorial Shelter, which opened in May 2018.
“[The shelter] is close enough for the residents to access all of their supportive facilities and to commute to work via bicycle or walking. It is in an industrial area where there is limited impact to residents, commercial businesses and retail businesses. Surely between the city and the province there must be somewhere that could be obtained for this project.”
In an emailed response, city planner Helen Chan explained that the application was for a “proposed rezoning, subdivision and development permit” for “the development of a permanent building for supportive housing (not transitional housing).”
In response to concerns that the public parking lot to the north of the site would be affected by development, Chan wrote that the parking lot would be reduced by nine parking spaces by the project, bringing the total number of spaces to 46 in that lot.
Chan was not immediately available for comment.
The supportive housing project is currently within an initial review stage. The next step, after the review, would be to submit a planning report to city council.
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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