Peter Shokeir | [email protected]
Parks Canada has issued development permits for two 72-unit rental apartment buildings in Jasper along Connaught Drive.
Located at 801 and 821 Connaught Drive, the two buildings would be mirror images of each other and could be finished as early as 2024.
“Through extensive community consultations to determine community needs and best use of available land, the Connaught Drive parcels were identified as preferred locations for the development of additional housing to meet community demand,” Parks Canada stated in a Dec. 15 announcement.
With the support of the Jasper Community Housing Corporation, Parks Canada initiated a public land release process for Parcel GB to be developed by a private developer as rental housing.
“The development will provide much-needed rental units, is in keeping with the Architectural Motif for the Town of Jasper and has met all other criteria for a development permit,” Parks Canada stated.
The developer or property manager will set the rental rates, and the lease ensures that the units remain as rental units and that units cannot be sold.
Early this year, Jasper resident Helen Schwarz started a petition that criticized the variances allowed for this project.
The variances permit the buildings to exceed the maximum building height by 3.67 metres, decrease the size of each unit by 15 per cent and reduce the number of required parking stalls from 159 to 125.
In an email statement, Parks Canada said the roof and eave height variances will accommodate a functional outdoor amenity patio area for the basement apartments.
“The proposed buildings are set back so the patio areas do not protrude into the required front setback,” Parks Canada added.
“Taking into consideration the downward slope between Connaught Drive and railway and landscaping mitigations in the front setback, the view of the buildings from Connaught Drive will be similar to the elevation of a three-story building.”
As for the parking variance, this was granted provided that the developer includes sheltered bike parking areas and work with the Municipality of Jasper.
The developer has also been required to pay an amount of money to the municipality for the variance, as allowed under its parking authority bylaw. Council will decide how the money is utilized.
