(UPDATE: July 19 @ 5:30 pm) – More housing options will soon be available for students at Thompson Rivers University following a decision made by Kamloops City Council on Tuesday.
An 80-unit housing development is being proposed for a portion of the vacant land north of the existing student housing on Dalgleish Drive.
Kamloops City Council voted in favour of the proposal during the regular meeting on July 19.
The applicant was requesting to rezone the 3.4 hectare as medium density multi-family housing to make way for a four-storey building.
City staff’s report explains that there would be 68 rooms with two beds and 12 rooms with one bed for a total of 148 beds.
All rooms would have a kitchenette with a double-burner stove, a small fridge and other small appliances. Each floor would induce common amenity space as well as outdoor space for students to use.
This will add onto the nearly 500 beds that exist for students in the area at the end of Dagleish.
According to city staff, this is the first of three buildings proposed for the subject property.
Rezoning applications will be required for the other two buildings. However, early design plans indicate that these two future buildings would each have 100 units with 200 beds.
Design plan indicates 38 parking spaces and 40 enclosed bike spaces, which meets the minimum requirements of the bylaw for these types of development.
Council gave first, second and third reading to the housing agreement that will dedicate this as student only housing.
Next steps will include issuing a development permit dependent on the establishment of a right-of-way for public access and the future multi-use pathway.
This development permit will also depend on a landscape security payment.
(Original story: July 19 @ 5:30 pm) On Tuesday, Kamloops City Council will be reviewing an application from Thompson Rivers University (TRU) for a proposed 80–unit student housing building.
The four-storey building would be located at a recently consolidated property immediately north of School District #73’s bus garage.
According to city staff’s report, the 3.4 hectare property is currently zoned as medium density multi-family housing (RM3).
“The site is owned and operated by TRU for student housing in five buildings with a total of 144 units, which are predominately two and 3+ bedrooms,” reads a report headed to council on July 19.
“TRU is proposing to use the vacant northwestern portion of the property for further student housing.”
The proposal being reviewed this week is for the first of potentially three buildings on the subject property, directly across Summit Drive from the university.
According to staff, a rezoning application must be submitted for the other two buildings because they will exceed the density allowed under the RM3 zone.
More than 145 beds would be made available if this application is approved.
Currently, there are nearly 500 beds available in the existing buildings surrounding the subject property.
There would also be 38 parking spaces and 40 enclosed bike spaces to meet the minimum requirements of the bylaw.
City staff explain that the city’s standard requires one parking space per four sleeping rooms with each bed considered a “sleeping room.”
“The reduced standard is based on the acknowledgement that students living in dormitory housing in or adjacent to their institution are less likely to own a personal vehicle as compared to standard multi-family housing,” explains staff’s report.
TRU is working to finalize plans for the construction of 3.6 metre-wide multi-use pathway that would connect Summit Drive with Dalgleish Drive to better serve pedestrians and cyclists in the area.
The pathway along Summit Drive is part of the proposed Summit Drive overpass which is awaiting the results of a federal funding grant.
Kamloops City Council will ebate and review this item during the regular meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 1:30 pm.
