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Tsawwassen subdivision applications irks neighbours

There are currently no defined infill areas in the Tsawwassen Area Plan
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The application to rezone the Cliff Drive property is still under review and yet to be considered by council. Google Maps

The City of Delta recently received a 90-name petition opposed to a proposed subdivision of a Tsawwassen residential property.

The city is currently reviewing an application to subdivide the property at 5000 Cliff Dr. into two lots with each having a new single-detached dwelling with a secondary suite, attached garage and in-ground basement on each lot.

Noting a report is forthcoming, a staff response to council explained that the petition has been acknowledged and will form part of the ongoing rezoning and subdivision application review and consultation summary.

The petition lists several concerns including the new lots being “substantially narrower” than any of the existing lots, creating a “cramped look.”

The petition also states the “proposed houses do not respect the look and feel of the neighbourhood.”

Currently having a house and swimming pool, the 27,893-square foot lot is listed for sale at $2.9 million. The listing notes that the property is in the process of an application for a subdivision for two flat, rectangular building lots at approximately 14,000 square-feet each.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Tsawwassen, a 9A Avenue resident recently wrote to council conveying opposition to another subdivision application, saying that proposal is not suitable for the neighbhourhood.

In February, following a lengthy discussion, council voted against a planning staff recommendation to reject an Official Community Plan amendment and rezoning application for a single-family property at 5638 9A Ave., which would see a subdivision of the one lot into two lots where two houses with secondary suites would be built.

The two lots would be 41-feet wide with an average lot depth of 130 feet, much smaller than surrounding residential properties.

The property is currently zoned Single Family Residential (SFR), intended for single-family housing at a certain maximum density per acre, while the proposed development would have a higher density not consistent with the SFR designation. That means an OCP amendment would be required.

Wanting to hear what residents had to say, council decided to allow the proposal to go through the application process for further consideration.

A report by the planning department outlined several reasons the application should be rejected including opposition conveyed in the neighbourhood.

In response to the letter, the planning department provided an update that staff would meet with the applicant to discuss potential refinements to the proposal to address comments and report back to council.

A staff report notes there are currently no defined infill areas in the Tsawwassen Area Plan, but some case-by-case requests for infill development have been approved.

Acquiring a deeper understanding of the area would enable staff to develop an infill strategy to realize gentle density as outlined in the Housing Action Plan, the report notes.