Proposed Steveston apartments would be kitty-corner to fishing fleet
Apartments boasting the first clear views of a once-mighty fishing fleet could soon be built in Steveston Village.
Cornerstone Architecture has applied to rezone a former marine supply store at 3531 Bayview St. to allow a three-storey commercial-residential development.
The proposal is another sign of the changing face of Steveston Village, where a growing number of people call home. A project consultant said housing more people in the village is a boon to businesses.
“What you want to do to ensure Steveston is a vibrant, successful community is to have people living right where the businesses are. It really helps maintain a solid core of customers for those businesses,” said Dana Westermark, working on behalf of Elegant Development.
Last summer Towns Netting and Marine Supplies Ltd., moved out of the village, leaving its light industrial storefront empty. The site—located across from the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, falls within the new Steveston conservation zone. Adding to the project’s complexities is its proximity to the dyke.
Westermark said the project has responded to comments from the community and direction from the city, resulting in a smaller building than originally considered. Plans call for commercial space fronting Bayview Street and Third Avenue, a full storey of residential above, and a partial residential storey above that.
Westermark said a town hall meeting is planned in the near future to collect more opinions from the neighbourhood before a final set of drawings is presented to the city for review.
“We want to make sure that this building fits in with the community and that it’s an attractive addition to Steveston,” he said.
City council’s planning committee chair, Coun. Bill McNulty, said the revised plan should be more in keeping with the area.
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