Council Roundup from Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Looking to get caught up on the Tuesday, February 25 Regular Council meeting? We’ve pulled together some key items from the Regular Council Meeting, including:
- Plan for the final development of Cheakamus Crossing Phase 2
- Tweaks to further the rollout of small-scale multi-unit housing (SSMUH) legislation in Whistler
- Changes to the five-year financial plan to bring 2024 into balance
For all the details, check out the recording of the full meeting on whistler.ca.
Council backs $62M housing project for Cheakamus Crossing
Photo credit: Siegrist Architecture
A proposed rental housing development at 1600 Mount Fee Road, also known as Lot 3, got a boost at the regular council meeting on Tuesday, February 25 with Council endorsing a project plan. Council will see this project back in front of them once the financing plan has been confirmed and grant funding secured. The Whistler Development Corporation is building the project and Whistler Housing Authority will be the buyer.
Council was asked to provide their conditional endorsement to spend $5.9 million from employee housing reserve funds to fund a portion of the equity needed to deliver affordable rents, as well as to endorse a revised higher site density. As a rental project, with rental price restrictions in place, it is hoped that the project will qualify for $7.2 million in federal and provincial government grants. As well, Whistler Housing Authority is contributing $3 million, meeting the total equity investment of $16.1 million that is required to ensure the project is economically viable at the reduced rental rates through the WHA rental housing program. The total cost is estimated at $62.4 million with the remainder being financed.
The project plan outlines a total of 125 new units, including 20 three-bedroom townhomes and a five-storey apartment building featuring 16 two-bedroom units, 75 one-bedroom units and 14 studios. The plans represent a significant increase in the number of units originally zoned for the lot, which was achieved by amending parking requirements to one stall per apartment and two stalls per townhouse, with some additional visitor stalls.
The Lot 3 project wraps up the current development plans for the Cheakamus area, coming on the heels of projects at 1400 and 1450 Mount Fee Road. Lot 5 is still under construction but will be completed in early 2026.
If all goes to plan, occupancy is slated for 2028.
Municipal staff did note that there is some concern regarding project costs with current uncertainty over the supply chain and tariffs associated with the trade war with the United States. Funding is also not yet secured, but staff should know by early summer, 2025. Any changes in the economics of the project will be reported to Council as they develop.
Council gives first three readings to multi-unit housing bylaws
The Resort Municipality of Whistler is doing its part for a new provincial housing requirement that would allow single family homes and lots to be subdivided into two, three, four and even six-unit multi-unit complexes.
At the Tuesday, February 25 Council meeting, Council gave the first three readings to two zoning bylaw amendments in support of Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (SSMUH). The initial bylaw was passed in June 2024 to meet provincial deadlines, with the understanding that the bylaw would need to be changed as more information became available regarding its use.
Every community in British Columbia is required to pass a SSMUH bylaw in support of provincial housing goals, with the province setting a short-term goal of 108,000 new homes completed or under construction by 2028.
Among other things, the new bylaw will allow owners greater clarity and flexibility in developing rental units on their existing properties, or to build multiple units on their lots. In any four-unit development, two units must be rented to Whistler residents. In any three-unit development, one unit must be rented to Whistler residents. These units cannot be sold as market housing. However, rent won’t be restricted. These units can also be subdivided and sold to the market with the same either one or two units being resident restricted.
Staff noted that development cost charges will be set with infrastructure (water, sewage, transportation) upgrades in mind.
Mayor Jack Crompton was optimistic about the new bylaw. “I see big opportunities with this policy for our community, I think one of the challenges we have is empty neighbourhoods,” he said. “I hope that what we see on the other side of this is kids running on the streets in places like Alta Vista.”
Amendment to the 5-year financial plan
The RMOW’s 2024 financial year has wrapped up, requiring some adjustments to the five-year financial plan after final revenue and spending was assessed. Non-tax revenues exceeded the budget by slightly less than $900,000 in 2024, while operating expenses were higher by roughly $2.5 million. Contributions to the General Capital Reserve were decreased by $1.6 million, while interest income from the fund itself is meaningfully higher than expected, helping to dull the effect of the lower budgeted contribution by approximately $500,0000. This resulted in a shortfall of $1.1 million that will need to be covered in 2025 by a reduced contribution to the General Capital Reserve, as municipalities cannot carry a deficit under the Community Charter.
Areas that increased overall revenues include higher Meadow Park Sport Centre admissions by $250,000, investment returns of $470,000 over forecasts, and an additional $150,000 in transit funds from the provincial Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI).
The overage was caused by an additional $700,000 in contributions to the RCMP and RCMP special teams cost; increased transit service expense of approximately $500,000, due to service increases and higher contract/operator rates; and $1.3 million in staff costs, largely related to a lower-than-expected vacancy rate.
Carlee Price, the municipality’s Chief Financial Officer, said some smaller staff related items, like sick day accumulations and human resource software, had impact on the staff cost, but labour market changes which allowed the organization to fill most jobs ultimately drove the shift. You can watch the presentation on whistler.ca.
