The ground breaking for the low-income seniors and special needs housing project in Baker Park is next Wednesday and there will be six more units in the project than originally planned.

At a Special Council Meeting at the end of July, City Council approved the application for a Multi-Family Residential Development Permit to enable construction of 36 multi-family residential units in Baker Park. The units will be specifically senior and special needs rental housing.

Mayor Scott Manjak said the City had enough space for 36 units, but through negotiations with BC Housing 30 units was decided on for the project originally. The City did let BC Housing know there was room in the development plan for additional units.

Manjak said his understanding is that some housing projects around the province couldn’t get off the ground and that created a surplus of units that could be built.

“Because we had the site in place and we had the planning in place, we were able to say to BC Housing, do you want to reconsider and add more units here and they took a look at what was going on around the province and said they would bring in another six units,” he said.

The project is being done through BC Housing Management Corporation, with federal and provincial funding. The City has provided the land, rezoned it and will provide some of the services, such as roads.

Manjak said the project will help alleviate some of the housing needs in the community.

“This is a project geared specifically towards senior citizens and that’s why I like this so much. We’re taking another step in addressing the housing issues in Cranbrook,” he said. “We’re addressing a very identified need for seniors housing so I’m very happy about that. It’s in proximity to the downtown core, the rec centre’s right there, doctor’s offices, shopping’s right there and the seniors fitness park is right there.”

Manjak said the housing project is another example of investment in the community by the provincial and federal governments.

“We’ve seen lots of infrastructure investment in Cranbrook by the federal and provincial governments over the last two years and this is just another one,” he said. “I think it’s just a really good example of Council and the City working with funding agencies to address a very important segment of our community.”

The attached townhouse-style dwellings will be built on the baseball diamond in Baker Park. To accommodate the new units, the already-approved cluster of six housing units was shifted about three metres. This allows the additional units, parking and should preserve one of two horseshoe pits and will increase the useable park area adjacent to the picnic tables in the area.

The senior’s housing is designed to be accessible and adaptable with low barrier access, wider doorways and larger bathrooms as well as accessible grab handles, switches and outlets. The construction also incorporates environmental features including high insulation values, low flush toilets and Energy Star appliances. The single-storey housing will be one-bedroom units of 610 sq. ft.