Sale of Surplus Land Parcel at Braemar Site
In the fall of 2006, the North Vancouver School District hosted a series of public open houses to introduce the possibility of selling parcels of surplus land on school sites to assist in funding capital projects to renew its aging facilities.
The Braemar surplus land parcel extending from the 3500 block of Calder Avenue is acknowledged as unused, untended land that could be made available for sale. The neighbourhood was notified, community feedback was solicited, and the Braemar PAC was also consulted. While some respondents supported the concept, others raised concerns about possible changes to the neighborhood that would result from the future development of the site.
Braemar Surplus Land Parcel
The NVSD incorporated several considerations from the community feedback into its 2007 Preliminary Planning Application (PPA) to the District of North Vancouver (DNV). The PPA received general support from the DNV with permission to proceed subject to the District’s next phase of requirements. In May of 2007, the North Vancouver Board of Education (the Board) authorized the marketing of the property through a public process. Numerous submissions were received and from these, the NVSD selected a developer, Wedgewood Ventures, as the most qualified bidder. Among those qualifications is Wedgewood’s commitment to working with the community through the development process.
Over the past eight years, Wedgewood Ventures has worked with the DNV to prepare an amenable development proposal that will achieve the necessary rezoning. The first proposal for six or seven 4,000 square foot homes was put on hold in 2008 by Wedgewood. A subsequent proposal in 2014 provided a significantly reduced environmental footprint over the original plan with a proposed plan of seven homes, ranging in size from 2,200—2,800 square feet, a density reduction of close to 50 percent. The proposal of 2014 did not receive support of DNV Council based on concerns identified by Council and raised in the public consultation process.
Responding to concerns related to the siting location of the homes, traffic, parking, and the environment, the current 2015 proposal further reduces the building area, providing for four single-family homes, while preserving a portion of the site for green space. An environmental assessment and arborist report have been completed. Details of the proposed development are available at: http://www.wedgewoodventures.com/drawing-board and on this summary.
Please visit the North Vancouver School District website for more information about the Braemar Surplus Land Parcel and a Q & A