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A development permit for a car wash and detailing service along Fern Rd. in Qualicum Beach has been approved, along with a zoning amendment to allow nine detached dwelling units on a divided parcel of land along Chester Rd. (Town of Qualicum Beach)
developing oceanside

Car wash & nine-lot home development move forward in Qualicum Beach

Jul 20, 2025 | 5:32 AM

QUALICUM BEACH — A number of new, smaller homes and a car wash may soon be coming to town.

Councillors approved a rezoning amendment at 510 Chester Rd. on Wednesday, July 16, to develop several one-unit detached homes in the area.

Director of planning and community development Luke Sales said the proposal is to turn this large, single property into nine living units.

“One house currently exists on the property and that house would be retained, and then they would propose to construct, or subdivide, to allow the creation of eight other small lots that would accommodate single-detached dwelling units.”

An overhead map of the proposed development at 510 Chester Rd., including the building currently on site and the plans for future single-dwelling units. (Town of Qualicum Beach)

Councillors agreed the land-use zoning amendment application was compliant with their Official Community Plan, along with a second recommendation for the property to be a bare land strata subdivision.

Coun. Petronella Vander Valk spoke in favour of the proposal.

“I think that this project is good in terms of what we’re looking for: smaller properties, smaller houses, and I think that this will fit into that, and is gentle densification.”

This proposal still requires the approval of a development permit, but no public hearing is permitted under provincial Bill 44 legislation.

A rendering of what the proposed units would look like at 510 Chester Rd. (Town of Qualicum Beach)

Car Wash
A development permit was approved for a car wash with a detailing shop and vehicle storage at 127 and 131 Fern Rd., subject to a number of revisions.

Those revisions, recommended by the Advisory Planning Commission, included the removal of the Fern Rd. East exit, replacing the off-street parking spaces in front of the building along Fern Rd. with a sidewalk, and additional landscaping where the exit and off-street parking spaces were removed.

Coun. Scott Harrison said having a sidewalk along Fern Rd. instead of parking spots in front of the business makes sense for the future growth of the community.

“I do agree with the idea of getting rid of the front parking to not have cars pull in all through the frontage of the property and have a sidewalk, because we are going to see over the next several decades, more development in the East Village area.”

This development permit application was approved unanimously, with a building permit is still required prior to shovels going in the ground.

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