PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Aldermuir Neighbourhood Development
560/570 Laburnum Road, Qualicum Beach
Prepared by:
LiveWell Cohousing Developments Ltd. (the “Applicant”)
1645 West 5th Avenue,
Vancouver, BC
www.livewellcohousing.ca
www.aldermuir.ca
Contact:
Gary Morrison
[email protected]
604-729-2445
April 6, 2015
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This Project Overview document summarizes the proposed development at 560/570 Laburnum
Road, Qualicum Beach. It specifically addresses some questions raised during the Advisory
Planning Commission meeting of April 1, 2015, and includes additional information to assist the
public and interested parties to understand the proposed plans for the site.
THE PROPERTY
The property is shown below.
The Property:
Legal Address:
Size:
Current Zoning:
Current Use:
560/570 Laburnum Road, Qualicum Beach, BC.
Lt 9, PL 2212, DL 78, NEWCASTLE DISTRICT EXCEPT THAT PART IN PLAN
VIP 70080 (PID 006-419-771)
19.88 acres
RR1
Two (2) residential homes, cell phone antenna & wetland.
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PROPOSED SUBDIVISION & REZONING APPLICATION
The development proposal is to subdivide and rezone the Property to accommodate three
residential clusters plus dedicated green space. The development clusters have been configured
to integrate and respect the green space and features of the site.
The clusters are:
1. Westerly green space dedication (+/-6 acres).
2. A 28-home residential area to accommodate a cohousing community (strata, +/-7 acres
including 2.6 acres of green space).
3. A 25-lot cluster of single-family homes (standard fee simple, +/-5 acres).
4. An 8-home “pocket neighbourhood” clustered around a central green space using shared
parking (strata, +/-1.8 acres).
The residential portions of the site will be developed into three separate clusters with integrated
pathways and a common design aesthetic. The goal is to provide a diversity of housing options while
using similar design features to create a visually cohesive neighbourhood (see next page).
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KEY FEATURES OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
1. Diversity of Housing Options. This whole Project is designed to meet the needs of a
broad demographic and socioeconomic profile – from those seeking purely independent
smaller single-family homes, to those seeking some sharing and interpersonal
interactions (pocket), to those people seeking regular social and neighbourly
connections (cohousing). All within a vital and healthy natural environment.
2. Sustainability. The proposal is designed to be sustainable along two dimensions:
a. Environmental: respect, preservation and enhancement of green spaces.;
reduction of road infrastructure; promotion of smaller home sizes; energy
efficient construction; sharing of resources (within cohousing)
b. Social: creating neighbourly connections and a supporting network for people
who live in the community.
3. Family Friendly. The community will be open to all ages and will actively encourage
and recruit families. The proximity to Qualicum Beach Elementary School will further
enhance the attractiveness of this community to families.
4. Local. The cohousing portion of the development plan has been designed through a
workshop process by local residents who wish to live in this community. Local
designers and consultants have been utilized by LiveWell Cohousing to move the
project forward. LiveWell is committed to engaging with the local community….and
economy.
A total of 61 homes are anticipated for the neighbourhood, over 19.88 acres. The overall
neighbourhood would accommodate +/-120 adults and +/-20 children.
INTEGRATED PLAN
The complexities of the site require a fully integrated approach to design and development.
It is difficult for any individual part of the plan to move forward independently of the other
parts due to the cost of on-site infrastructure. We have conducted extensive planning on
this site since August 2014 and have developed a coherent overall plan that meets diverse
interests including community needs, Town, green space, and economic viability. We
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strongly believe the proposed plan is the best overall use of the site, and best way to move
forward.
BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY
LiveWell Cohousing is proposing a variety of community amenities as part of this
application. The current proposal provides the Town with more benefits than any recent
development.
Bike Path Contribution
Affordable Housing Contribution
Paving Claymore Road
Parkland Dedication
Subdivision Requirement
QB Parkland in lieu
Extra Contribution by Project
$
$
$
100,000
122,000
96,000
$
$
$
$
60,000
122,000
178,000
360,000
Green Building (EnerGuide 85)
LED Street lights
cost not included
cost not included
TOTAL AMENITY CONTRIBUTION
Contribution per Unit
$
$
Town's Target Range
Historical precedents
$2,000 to $5,000 per unit
Lower
496,000
8,131
5% of site
$2,000 per unit
25% extra contribution
(only includes "extra" parkland contribution)
61
It is notable that our proposed contribution is $3,000 (60%) higher than other
developments. We are also proposing to pay full Development Costs Charges to the Town
and the Regional District (except for the credit for our parkland contribution). We are
contributing our fair share to the broader community.
VALUE OF LAND UPLIFT
While there is an uplift in land value through rezoning, there is also a substantial cost to
servicing rural sites such as ours (commensurate with the uplift). The net result is a land
development proforma profit of +/-$817,000 (representing 14.9% of costs). LiveWell will
also earn fees during the development process (in-line with market rates charged by other
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professional development consultants). The project will have a significant and expensive
"soft cost component", which includes other mostly local design consultants,
environmental and geotechnical consultants, engineers, project management and
construction management expertise.
The amenity contribution of $496,000 represents 61% of the land profit portion of the
development, and adds 9% to the fully serviced cost of land.
Summary of Recent Contributions by Other Developments
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EXTENSIVE PUBLIC CONSULTATION
LiveWell Cohousing has hosted extensive public consultations and meetings to build
interest in the proposed community. The following meetings and events have occurred so
far.
PAST EVENTS
1. September 22, 2014. Public open house and free kick-off presentation by architect
and author Chuck Durrett to discuss cohousing on the site (Community Hall, QB).
2. October 5, 2014, project launch announcement at Civic Centre (advertised in PQB
News).
3. Free site tours open to public (advertised in local HarbourLiving Event calendar):
a. November 23rd, 2014.
b. January 4th, 2015.
c. February 22, 2015.
d. March 28, 2015.
4. Free Project Information Session, Civic Centre, November 23rd, 2014.
5. Free family information session, Qualicum Rotary Club, December 22, 2014.
6. Qualicum Parent Advisory Council presentation, December 2014.
7. Free information meeting on cohousing, Civic Centre, February 13, 2015.
8. Town Advisory Planning Commission, April 1, 2015.
9. Plans and renderings of cohousing posted on community Facebook page
(www.facebook.com/PQBcohousing) and community website www.aldermuir.ca.
10. Video of cohousing planning process posted on Facebook and Website.
UPCOMING PUBLIC EVENTS:
11. Public Information Session April 8th, Civic Centre.
12. Council information session April 9th, Town Hall.
13. Second APC presentation (date TBD).
14. Council 1st reading – April 13th
15. Council 2nd reading – April 27th
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16. Second Public Information Session – May 3rd
17. Council 3rd reading – tentatively May 11th
EXTENSIVE COHOUSING COLLABORATION
A important and unique aspect of this development proposal is the community
involvement in the planning of the cohousing community. This design was *not* prepared
by LiveWell Cohousing. It was designed by a group of four households (eight people) who
are interested in living in the new community. The future residents led the design process.
This is an essential part of cohousing – we strongly believe the community must be
designed by those who will live there. The role of LiveWell was to facilitate these design
sessions and assemble a team of professionals to assist the group. We are extremely proud
of the design work – and believe the quality and livability of the community is clear.
This project has a significant following in the community. We have over 340 people
following us on Facebook, over 150 people signed up for our mailing list, and six
households have paid to attend workshops and participate in the design and planning
process. There is clearly significant support for cohousing in Qualicum Beach, and we are
very pleased with our progress so far.
HOME PRICES
At this early stage home prices have not been finalized, however for planning purposes
LiveWell is assuming the following price points:
1. Single Family Lots. Likely similar to Westridge (home prices +/-$499,000).
2. Pocket Neighbourhood. Smaller homes expected to be $350,000 to $450,000 per
home range.
3. Cohousing Community:

hoping to achieve 1-bedroom units in 4-plex starting in the $250,000 to
$275,000 range1
We note this is a bold goal and will depend on a number of factors including the level of finishes selected by
owners and timing of their participation in the project.
1
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

3-bedroom around $335,000
4-bedroom around $420,000
These prices are reflective of our land costs, infrastructure development costs and
construction costs. As noted above this includes $8,000 per unit which is $3,000 more than
any other project in area.
PHASING PLAN
We do not plan a phased subdivision implementation. These cluster neighbourhoods will
move forward in parallel. The sequencing of the roll-out of clusters will generally be as
follows:
1. Subdivide four lots as follows:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Dedication of the westerly green space to Town.
Cohousing parcel.
Single family parcel.
Pocket neighbourhood parcel.
2. Project remains in abeyance at 3rd reading until all lots are serviced in a manner
acceptable to Town Engineering and Approving Officer.
3. Site infrastructure is installed to allow subdivision (including storm water
management works).
4. Work commences, in parallel, on single family lots and the cohousing community.
5. Work commences on the pocket neighbourhood in 2020 after the antenna is
removed.
STORM WATER MANAGEMENT
We understand storm water management is an extremely important aspect of this plan to
the Town and surrounding neighbours. It is also a priority for us and we have conducted
detailed investigations into such storm water management plans to confirm feasibility.
Upon approval by the Town of our plans, we will perform the servicing work as quickly as
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possible working in collaboration with a development partner for the single family lots.
This work may commence in summer 2015. Timing is subject to availability of contractors.
Upon completion of the storm works, the installation will be certified by the engineer of
record and as-built documentation will be deposited with the Town.
FUNDING OF SITE INFRASTRUCTURE
Like many other projects of this scale, we will use a combination of bank funding and
development partners to fund the infrastructure works. We have received unsolicited
inquiries to partner on the single family lots, and are very optimistic of the demand for
single family lots in Qualicum Beach. LiveWell is backing up this optimism and will fully
invest its own resources to acquire the land and pay for the early planning and design
work.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF LIVEWELL COHOUSING DEVELOPMENTS?
LiveWell aims to fast-track development of cohousing communities. We bring professional
development management to projects and focus on two key areas where cohousing groups
have struggled to launch: (i) securing land rights, and (ii) funding adequate due diligence
on the land. We also help the “seed” cohousing group build momentum and membership
through hosting events in the community to attract people interested in this style of
neighbourhood.
We note that LiveWell’s business is to “de-risk” sites for cohousing groups, allowing the
group to move forward with their project with a high degree of confidence such land can be
developed quickly. Cohousers do not speculate on land, and it is important the land is
ready for development before they invest money. LiveWell takes these risks and manages
the risks moving forward.
TRAFFIC IMPACT NEGLIABLE
The traffic impact of this community will be negligible. We are aligned with the Town’s
recent discussions that roundabouts work best when traffic from all directions is equal (not
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the case for our development at Laburnum and Claymore). The best option for safety
remains leaving traffic plans as is.
COHOUSING OVERVIEW
This inter-generational residential
cohousing neighbourhood will be
composed of 28 homes plus a shared
common house amenity building for social
events and occasional shared dining.
Homes are a mix of duplex and 4-plex
structures. The design of this innovative
form of housing facilitates and encourages
interactions among neighbours.
Cohousing communities are small-scale neighbourhoods created with the active
involvement of the future residents. Homes are often clustered together with an emphasis
on local walking/biking, while the on-site parking is pushed to the periphery to allow
walkability, social connectivity and safe play areas for children.
Neighbours often get to know each other before move-in during the planning process, are
co-creators of the project, and continue to work closely together after they move in. An
important aspect of living in a cohousing community is the balance between personal
privacy and life in a close-knit community of neighbours. In cohousing, individual homes
are privately owned or rented and are self-sufficient with a complete kitchen, dining area,
bedroom, bathroom, etc. In addition, members enjoy convenient access to shared
amenities, including a community-owned club house or Common House which may include
a large kitchen, multi-purpose dining area, multi-media space, workshop for shared tools
and bike repair, rooms for overnight friends and family, a sitting area/library and laundry
facilities. Privacy is always available to homeowners, and neighbours also have the option
of participating in formal and informal community life.
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Layout of the Cohousing portion of the site
You can learn more about cohousing at www.cohousing.ca
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Single Family Lots Overview
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These residential lots will have a minimum size of 465 m and accommodate single or twostory homes on each lot, ranging from 1,400 Square Feet to 2,400 Square Feet with a single
car garage. Careful attention to overall neighbourhood design has been paid to provide
residents with a sense of place within the surrounding green space, plus easy access to a
bike path and trails as well as existing Town amenities like Qualicum Beach Elementary
School and the Civic Centre.
A narrower than standard road way width is used to further enhance the sense of rural
integration of the cluster (the access road off Claymore Road has a width of 7.5m.
Roadways are 6.5m wide within the cluster).
Pocket Neighbourhood Overview
These 8 residential lots have a
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minimum area of 360 m and are
clustered around a shared green space
horseshoe “pocket” formation. This
in a
configuration is also designed to
encourage neighbourly interactions,
however without a common amenity
building. Single-family homes will range
from 1000 Square Feet to 1500 Square Feet with on-site parking contained at the southern
periphery of the site.
This cluster is not anticipated to be developed until the existing Telus antenna has been
relocated. Space opened by the removal of the antenna could allow for a small commercial
space of up to 1,000 Square Feet for retail/commercial activity, or an additional strata lot.
Final decision will be made in consultation with the Director of Planning at the subdivision
stage.
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Layout of the Single Family and Pocket Neighbourhood portion of the site
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Green Space & Sustainability
Smaller lots and homes are inherently more sustainable and energy efficient. Homes are to
be designed to achieve an EnerGuide rating of 85 or better (or equivalent Built Green
standards) through a combination of high insulation values, careful attention to air leakage,
high-quality windows, and efficient heating systems and heat recovery ventilation.
The proposed park dedication plus other on-site green space will protect the mature
forested area at the west of the site. Green space in the centre of the site will enhance the
overall sense of place of all clusters developed on the site.
Enhanced Wetland for Amphibian Breeding
Finally, we are very proud of our plans to enhance the wetland portions of the site. Our
plan for storm water management includes creating a water retention system of connected
ponds and new artificial wetland breeding habitat suitable for native lentic amphibians
(living in still water) in close proximity to good quality “core’ (or non-breeding) forest
habitat. We are not only preserving extensive wetland areas on the site, we are also
enhancing such areas for future amphibian support.
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