Lantzville council has begun the process of modifying the official community plan and zoning bylaw to allow for a planned 306-bed long-term care facility.
On July 10, district council discussed modifying the OCP, after Island Health made a request to increase the maximum permitted height of the building from 20 metres to 25 metres, exclude the facility from regulations requiring a 15-metre tree buffer area for the south corner of the building, and decrease a setback from 15 metres to five metres.
In October, 2023, the province announced a new long-term care facility was planned for Lantzville to open in 2027, as part of three facilities through the province. In addition to about 300 beds, it will have a 20-bed hospice unit and a 26-bed specialized population unit.
Cindy Nesselbeck with Island Health provided an update to council ahead of the reading of the OCP plan and zoning bylaw discussion. She expects approval for the design report from Island Health in the next few weeks.
"At this point we have our schematic design report for the project thus far and we're sitting right now at about a 33 per cent completion of that design," she said.
To create the schematic, Stantech, an architecture, engineering and environmental consulting firm was hired and Bird Construction was awarded the build tender.
Stefan Schulson, Stantech's managing consultant for the project, said that while the facility was originally pitched as three storeys, the current schematic involves a four-storey facility at just under 25 metres, including a rooftop access.
"The basic arrangement of it is we have a single-storey centre block at the middle of the site with the main entry, we've got our administrative and village square functions," Schulson said. "We have three residential tower blocks, these are each four storeys above the parkade. This area is where all the resident houses are at. Two blocks to the west side, then we have the one block on the east side, sort of near the northeast corner."
Council was told the facility will include 37 daycare spaces, intended for children of staff members. There are also plans for access to trails and a walking path.
When the schematic is finalized, there will be a series of public information sessions in the community.
Mayor Mark Swain said he had no significant concerns with the design, and felt it was "shaping up quite nicely."
"I'm really looking forward to the … [information] sessions that will be coming forward, and I'm sure as we get into this more and more there will be more refinement to the design," he said.
Coun. Rachelle Mundell brought attention the planned use of woodchips or gravel for the trails, based on the perceived challenge it could present to those in wheelchairs, but otherwise indicated full support.
"As an occupational therapist, I can tell you for residents' benefit, something chipped for gravel will not do well for wheelchairs…" Mundell said. "A lot of residents and families will want to use that pathway with their loved one who is a resident. I think in this particular case that we consider something firmer and potentially safer or easier to use for that population."
The amendment passed second reading.
