A rezoning application for a proposed 103-unit microsuite development near Main Street will be coming to Sicamous council.
At its March 1 meeting, the district’s Planning and Development committee expressed support for an application to rezone property at 113 Weddup St. and 1005 Riverside Ave. from MUR-2 seasonal accommodation to C-3 waterfront commercial for the development of 103 microsuite dwelling/sleeping units.
Plans included for the property, divided by Riverside, show 68 units, as well as an office, on the Weddup portion along the channel. This will be phase 1 of the project. The Riverside portion, phase 2, includes 35 units. Each unit offers 312 square feet, and both phases combined offer 167 parking stalls.
Phase 1 will also include a portion of the waterfront walkway.
In September 2022, the planning committee received a presentation from K West Homes president and Vita Resort Residences founder Kevin Bird, the applicant behind the 103-unit Vita project along Riverside. At the March meeting, Bird once again provided some background to the microsuites that included a 103 microsuite unit project in Vernon, constructed in the form of a five-storey building.
“The problem with five storeys is you’ve got to build a building before you get paid,” said Bird.
The microsuites proposed for Sicamous are all ground level.
Read more: Developer hopes to bring ‘microsuites’ to Sicamous
Read more: Trendy, compact suites to be built in Vernon
Currently, 113 Weddup is operated as a commercial houseboat marina with upland vehicle parking. During the offseason, the lot is used for boat/houseboat storage. At 1005 Riverside there is currently a single-family dwelling and a church.
The proposed use of the property is supported by the district’s official community plan.
Asked about amenities, Bird suggested the main ones are the development’s proximity to the waterfront and Main Street. He said there will be an office space with laundry facilities, explaining the suites would have only all-in-one laundry units.
“You’re going to see mostly two people in a suite, one or two. That’s basically what’s happened in Vernon,” said Bird.
Regarding utilities, Beeching said the property should be good for sewer, but it’s currently served by an undersized watermain and it would be up to the applicant to make sure there is access to the volume needed for firefighting.
Asked about the existing marina, Bird said he was going to keep strata lot 15 “and part of the strata lot 15 ownership will be the marina.”
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