The Esquimalt Legion jumped one more hurdle last week in its quest to replace its facility.
The township’s advisory planning commission gave the green light to a 12-storey mixed-use building for the site at 622 Admirals Rd. It includes 140 supportive senior housing units and 12 veterans housing units.
The project is a scaled-back version of the original proposal, which was reduced from 21 storeys to 17 and finally to its current 12 storeys, after a public hearing.
“The community concerns were also regarding the question of where the Legion would set up during construction,” Mayor Barb Desjardins said.
The project prompted Esquimalt to increase its maximum building height to 12 storeys from the previous 10 in its official community plan, she said.
The project will now be brought before council and will be subject to another public hearing, said Coun. David Schinbein, who serves as a council liaison on the advisory planning commission.
Proponents for the project will be asked to fund a parking study before council gives final approval, he said.
“The issue is around the amount of disabled parking, parking for visitors and staff at the new facility, and parking spaces for the Legion when events are held (there),” Schinbein said.
The public hearing is expected to be held early in the new year.
dpalmer@vicnews.com