Rendering supplied by the province during last fall's unveiling of a 306 long-term care facility in Lantzville. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

long-term care

Lantzville council advances substantial long-term care project to public hearing

Feb 10, 2024 | 6:24 AM

LANTZVILLE — Required zoning changes for a 306 bed publicly funded long-term care facility in Lantzville took a step forward this week.

In votes of 4-1 in favour, zoning and official community plan bylaw amendments passed first and second readings following extended discussions around the District of Lantzville council table on Wednesday, Feb. 7.

A yet to be determined number of public information sessions hosted by Island Health will take place prior to the public hearing, the District confirmed.

Coun. Joan Jones unsuccessfully lobbied for the initial readings be pushed back to late April.

“To have an information session and bring a report back to council at the time of the public hearing simply does not allow for council to give serious consideration to residents’ concerns, nor does it allow time for staff to communicate with the applicant these concerns,” Jones said.

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In addition to what Jones viewed as a timeline crunch, she expanded on the need for information on tree retention concerns and impacts on traffic to be known in advance of the public hearing stage.

Saying he expects “a world class facility,” Mayor Mark Swain said having District staff propose potential revisions at this stage doesn’t make sense.

“For those reasons, this is just delay, unnecessary delay and I cannot support unnecessary delay,” Swain said.

It’s not yet known when a public hearing will take place.

Island Health expects the facility on Schook at Lantzville roads just inside the community’s southern border will open in 2027.

Discussions with the City of Nanaimo for underground utility line connections were also advanced by Lantzville councillors at this week’s meeting.

Similar publicly run long-term care homes are planned by Island Health in Campbell River and Colwood to be built over the next few years.

The health authority expects staffing levels for the Lantzville facility will peak in the 100 to 130 range during daytime hours.

Last October health minister Adrian Dix announced a funding arrangement between Island Health and Nanaimo Regional Hospital District (NRHD) amounting to more than $280 million for the Lantzville project.

A 20 bed hospice unit, on-site childcare for staff are envisioned in four main buildings surrounding an interior courtyard.

The facility on a nearly nine acre undeveloped site will be built, owned and operated by Island Health.

A new long-term care facility is one of five capital project priorities for the NRHD, which is supplying $114 million, 40 per cent of the Lantzville facility’s construction costs.

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ian.holmes@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes