Vancouver Island University got the nod to raise some tall timber as city council approved a major height variance for a student housing project.
At a meeting Monday, Feb. 26, council voted to issue a development variance permit for a 10-storey hybrid mass-timber student housing complex on VIU campus at 900 Fifth St.
According to city documents, the complex will be built next to existing student housing and an outdoor sports court, and will be a seven-storey timber structure built atop a three-storey concrete podium. The housing will provide 266 student beds with shared lounges on each residential floor, student support space, amenity areas and food services and will be built with a goal to achieving Step 4 of the B.C. Energy Step Code for greenhouse gas emissions targets.
The $87-million project was first announced in September 2022.
The building will be 33 metres tall in an area zoned for a 14-metre building height maximum, so a height variance approval from council was required.
“It’s been supported by grant funding from the province and is a significant addition to student housing on the university campus,” said Jeremy Holm, city director of planning and development, in his report to council. “The property’s actually within the … Vancouver Island University secondary urban centre, which supports building heights similar to what you’re seeing here. Ten storeys would be supportable by [city] policy, but because of the zoning a variance is required.”
Coun. Paul Manly asked if the height variance would be required considering provincial legislation to increase housing density around transportation hubs, such as the bus exchange at VIU.
“If a re-zoning application were received for land within a transit-oriented area, through the provincial legislation, council would not be able to turn down that application strictly based on the densities allowable by the province and the height allowable by the province,” Holm said.
The development variance permit application passed unanimously.
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