A rendering of the proposed houses shows they are closer to Haliburton St. than the neighbouring homes. (Raymond de Beeld Architect Inc.)

By Jordan Davidson

communal living

Four homes on one lot pitched as potential option for Nanaimo housing crunch

May 30, 2022 | 5:29 AM

NANAIMO — A unique project with four smaller homes built on a single lot has passed its first hurdle.

The City of Nanaimo’s Design Advisory Panel provided largely positive feedback to a proposal for a multi-family development made up of four detached two-storey homes at 220 Haliburton St.

Architect for the project Raymond de Beeld said the smaller houses a throwback to when shacks used to house local miners, who were once located in the neighbourhood.

“You’re basically being more efficient and using less land per unit. Not everyone wants to live in an apartment-style building, so we see these as more like starter and family homes.”

Each unit would be roughly 1,900 square feet and include a shared yard in the middle of the lot.

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The property would also include secured bike storage, parking and a charging station for an electric vehicle.

The overall layout as of the May 26 pitch to the Design Advisory Panel, showing how the four homes would layout on the Haliburton St. lot. (City of Nanaimo)

de Beeld told NanaimoNewsNOW this kind of smaller but separate unit design has advantages over a standard four-plex, including more acoustic and visual privacy.

“If we have a single-family dwelling and they are three metres from each other we don’t have to fire sprinkler them, so there’s some cost savings even though we’re paying for more exterior wall, we’re saving on some other features we can use.”

According to de Beeld, these types of houses are becoming more popular as the prices for any type of real estate continues to skyrocket.

The developers also applied for a variance for how close the units can be to a major road.

The current requirement is seven metres with the developer asking it to be set back to 2.8 metres, which would allow each unit to have a front and back balcony.

The Design Advisory Panel did have a few concerns during their May 26 meeting, including the close proximity of the buildings.

An artists rendering of the proposed buildings facing Haliburton street. They would also have ocean views. (Raymond de Beeld Architect Inc.)

Panel member Tony James said while he liked the design and concept, his concern was privacy as the units would be very close together with some balconies almost hanging over the nearby units.

“Unless you get four families…who are thick as thieves and all friendly, the privacy is going to be pretty well non-existent.”

James suggested eliminating one of the balconies and allowing each unit to have a single larger balcony, or moving the units further back from the sidewalk.

In addition to setting the properties back from the sidewalk, the panel provided two additional recommendations.

They suggested the developer work on the privacy concerns brought forth by the initial design, and decide on what kind of trees to include in the middle courtyard.

The project must still pass Council for both development and building permits before shovels go into the ground.

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow