Lantzville could be home to a large-scale seniors facility.
Development and rezoning applications have been submitted to the District of Lantzville, according to publicly available documents at the district’s office.
The application calls for the construction of a multi-phased senior living development on 3.6 hectares of land located along the Lantzville-Nanaimo border, between Lantzville and Schook roads.
The proposed development, called the Ryeland Properties, would see as many as four buildings constructed that would serve as rental condominiums, assisted living apartments and a full-time residential care facility.
The owners of the proposed development, listed as a numbered company, have also submitted a letter to the district indicating that they would pay for the construction of an $800,000 water pipeline from Lantzville to the border of Nanaimo.
Lantzville councillors voted in favour of constructing that pipeline on Monday night (see related story page 7).
Frank Limshue, the district’s community planner, said the proposed development, if completed, would offer various care services to seniors and would be constructed in phases.
“It’s a seniors development that will be geared towards providing a variety of levels of care for seniors,” he said. “There will be units catering to independent living and there is supportive living and so forth.”
Limshue said the site of the planned development needs to be rezoned first and that the development would have to be approved by council before construction can begin.
“At this phase they have made an application to rezone the property for that kind of use,” he said. “The big issue is, is that an appropriate use at that particular location? Ultimately that has to be decided by council.”
The first phase of the development would consist of a 150-175 bed care facility according to conceptual plans.
However, exact sizes of the proposed buildings are not known at this time, according to Limshue, who said that information will become more clear when the owners apply for a development permit.
“At this point the application that they have submitted has illustrated a conceptual diagram for what they have envisioned for the site … Assuming they get the rezoning, then they would have to come in for a development permit and at that point in time, that is when we get into more detailed design work,” he said.
Lantzville councillors have yet to officially discuss the development and are awaiting an official report from district staff.