Revelstoke city council wants to explore the possibility of selling about half of the Bridge Creek Properties land to private interests who would then develop some kind of mixed housing development, including an affordable housing component.
Preliminary discussions of the idea came at council's Jan. 11 regular meeting when they discussed a motion from the Revelstoke Community Housing Society, which includes four city councillors on its board – Coun. Steve Bender, Coun. Phil Welock, Coun. Antoinette Halberstadt and Coun. Chris Johnston.
The Bridge Creek Properties land is located behind the new Revelstoke ambulance station at the corner of Oscar St. and Edward St.
The original motion proposed selling seven acres (roughly half of the 14-acre property designated for social housing projects) "for an affordable housing project subject to receipt of a suitable expression of interest for the opportunity."
"I think it's a broad request for an expression of interest in an affordable housing project," said Coun. Johnston, who introduced and explained the concept to the rest of council. "In my view, anyway, that could include a market component to it," he said.
Mayor David Raven expressed concern about the wording of the motion from the housing society, preferring that city staff prepare a report on the idea, including options. Council could then mull over the idea.
"I think we need a little bit more debate than the last five minutes," said Raven, who expressed his preference that the debate happen at the council table, as opposed to in housing society meetings.
Coun. Halberstadt suggested a revision to the motion, saying the original idea was to "invite the private sector to come forward with their ideas," she said. "If we like their proposal then we'll sell it to them." She said the society's intent was a preliminary exploration of the idea.
Johnston also said the housing society's intent was to explore options on a preliminary basis. "It's not a done deal. It's to see what's out there, to see who might be interested," Johnston said. "It might not even be a sale, it might turn out that it's a lease."
In the end, council opted for a revised motion from Johnston, which he worded as a request for "staff to prepare a brief report and a draft request for expressions of interest for a potential sale and development of an affordable housing project on approximately seven acres of the Bridge Creek properties."