A four-storey apartment building with 76 one, two, and three-bedroom units is being proposed for 360 Pym St. N. at the Island Hwy. W. intersection in Parksville, but City Council has concerns about the building's proposed height and design. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

housing development

‘Not there:’ housing needs weighed against area aesthetic for Parksville apartment building

Feb 3, 2026 | 4:15 PM

PARKSVILLE — A proposed apartment complex is facing some pushback in the early stages due to its proposed height and design.

Developers want to build a four-storey, 76-unit building with a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom units at 360 Pym St. N., at the Island Hwy. W intersection in Parksville.

Zoning and development bylaws amendments are required before it can proceed, which saw some resistance from the mayor and councillors during the Monday, Feb. 2, City council meeting.

“In my own personal feeling, I feel that even a three-storey or four-storey block is not appropriate for the site,” Mayor Doug O’Brien said. “It is the unofficial gateway from the west into our city, and I’m just not sure that it’s a three-storey or four-storey apartment block that I’d like to see there.”

Current zoning would allow for a three-storey building, with the rezoning application required to allow for additional storeys.

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The development would be right at this corner lot at Pym St. N. and the Island Hwy. W., the unofficial west entrance into Parksville. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

He said it’s a “very attractive site” with the ‘Parksville Welcomes You’ sign and display gardens on the corner.

He said it would be the first building with three or more storeys in the neighbourhood, which he considers a “transitionary” area.

The building will be a rental or strata complex, with the developers submitting solar studies to help minimize its impact on surrounding homes.

O’Brien acknowledged there’s a shortage of available townhomes in Parksville, and developments like this fill a “missing middle” demographic of people who can’t afford a single-family home.

“The townhouse market is coming in our area here…for considerably less. Condos are in the $500,000 range…townhouses are coming in at $700-750,000. So it provides just that little bit of piece we call the middle that’s going to get people into their own units at a lesser cost than a single-family dwelling.”

He encouraged the developers to return with a better design, “more in keeping with the neighbourhood,” saying he would prefer something more “aesthetically pleasing”.

“I think it’s a great project with the increased amount of additional bedrooms…this is the exact project we’re hoping for in our community, I’m just saying, just not there… I really like it, just put it somewhere else where we already have higher buildings,” O’Brien said.

Project architect Shirley Duong from BJK Architecture said at the meeting they re-tooled the design to include three-bedroom units after looking at the area’s market analysis and speaking with City staff.

“This range of unit types supports diverse family sizes, and residents across various ages and life stages, as well as, we looked at the parking strategy and density of the design, and more than 60 per cent of the required off-street parking is provided below-grade, and this approach minimizes the visual impact and allows for a more pedestrian-friendly site design.”

Other councillors, including Amit Gaur, Joel Grenz, Sylvia Martin, and Sean Wood, echoed the mayor’s comments, agreeing with the need for this type of family housing, but also expressed concerns about how the design and size would impact the neighbourhood.

The next step in the process is a public consultation phase before any rezoning can be approved.

Located at 360 Pym Street North at the Island Highway North intersection, the proposed development is only a few blocks from Ballenas Secondary School. (Image Credit: City of Parksville)

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