An historic strip in Ladner Village could be getting a new look.
An application, which has yet to come before Delta council, is being considered for a two-and-a-half storey mixed commercial and residential building at 4868 and 4872 Delta Street.
Winding its way through civic advisory committees, the proposal would replace two one-storey commercial buildings, one of which is a heritage building currently home to a barber shop.
Deputy planning director Marcy Sangret said the historic structure at 4868 Delta Street is on Delta's heritage inventory but is unnamed, simply listed as a commercial building circa 1918. It's noted as a structure with a boom town façade in an early commercial settlement in Ladner.
The site is between two significant heritage buildings: McCrea's Pool Hall and Delta's second municipal hall.
The development site is bounded by a newer two-storey commercial building to the south and a vacant site to the north, for which council has approved a development permit for a two-and-ahalf storey retail-residential building that has yet to be constructed.
At an advisory design panel meeting last month, Wesley Wollin, architect for the project, said Ladner Village is experiencing challenges from outside economic and development forces and that his project "symbolizes the will to survive through revitalization."
He said Delta Street needs both shops and services, as well as residents and occupants who will inhabit the area after business hours, helping ensure the viability of local restaurants and services.
The panel did convey a number of concerns, including parking, noting that while it's not under the control of the applicant, the continued success of the development in the area will eventually cause parking problems, so a village solution is required.
Concern was also expressed about the competing interests of parking off the lane with creating a lively and successful public realm where people would enjoy lane strolling and accessing stores from the lane. The committee ultimately recommended approval.
The Heritage Advisory Commission months ago discussed the application, generally agreeing that the opening malls at the Tsawwassen First Nation may negatively impact businesses in Ladner Village and that it's important to bring more residential space into the downtown core.
The application still requires council's preliminary approval in order to then send it to a public hearing.
