Nanaimo city councillors at their Jan. 13 meeting voted unanimously to issue a development permit for a proposed a five-storey, 29-unit residential building and café restaurant at 930 Terminal Ave., next to the Colonial Motel and Cypress Glen Apartments.

Submitted by Joyce Reid Troost Architecture on behalf of Red Hare Realty Development, the proposed development will have 11 one-bedroom units, 18 two-bedroom units, three three-bedroom live-work townhouse units and a 2,000-square-foot ground-floor café restaurant with an outdoor patio located at the corner of Terminal Avenue and Cypress Street.

A rooftop garden and club room for residents, underground parking and bike parking are also included in the development.

Joyce Reid Troost Architecture requested a number of variances – which were granted as a result of council’s decision to issue the development permit – including increasing the maximum allowable percentage of small car spaces from 40 per cent to 45 per cent and reducing the front yard setback from 5.5 metres to 3.6 metres.

During the Jan. 13 meeting, Troost told councillors the goal of the building’s design was to take advantage of the mountain and water views. She also said the building’s designed in such a way that it uses the property’s physical attributes, such as a downward-facing slope, to its advantage.

“The intention of the design was to embrace the slope and mask the parking behind it so it has little impact on what you see from the street,” Troost said.

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