A 3-building vehicle dealership deliberate for a high-profile former garden-centre web site on the Island Freeway in Nanaimo has received approval from metropolis council.

The property proprietor, a numbered firm recognized as 1960400 Ontario Ltd., intends to construct Porsche and Subaru dealerships dealing with the freeway and a service constructing hooked up to a two-storey parkade dealing with Wills Street.

The nook lot at 4900 Island Freeway — north of Lengthy Lake and south of Rutherford Street — was utilized by Lengthy Lake Nurseries Backyard Centre for 42 years. After the backyard centre closed in 2017, the positioning was offered to the present proprietor.

Plans name for a 19,439-square-foot Subaru dealership subsequent to a 14,014-square-foot Porsche dealership, and a service constructing of 9,289 sq. ft.

The dealership buildings are to be one storey every and clad in up to date supplies with excessive home windows. The designs match the company necessities for Subaru and Porsche dealerships, employees advised council on Monday.

The Metropolis of Nanaimo obtained an software for a growth allow for the positioning with three variances in January 2020.

Initially town’s design panel was scheduled to have a look at the appliance in March 2020, the month the pandemic was declared, however that assembly was cancelled.

As an alternative, a letter was despatched to the applicant together with employees feedback, employees stated, and the applicant responded with design revisions together with modifications to lighting, improved pedestrian connections and enhanced landscaping across the web site’s perimeter.

The variances would enable the developer to cut back the sideyard setback on the north property line by almost two ft and allow one-storey heights, as an alternative of two storeys, for the dealership buildings. The ultimate variance permits the mixed fence and retaining-wall peak to extend by three ft.

Coun. Tyler Brown expressed concern that the mission didn’t go earlier than the design panel, saying that might have occurred previously yr.

Coun. Don Bonner moved that the allow be authorized, with councillors Brown and Ben Gelesbracht voting in opposition to it.

Coun. Zeni Maartman voted in favour. “After we first authorized this going into our first time period, I stated I needed one thing on this land earlier than the 4 years [of council’s term] was up, so I simply hope they’ll get it constructed quick,” Maartman stated.

cjwilson@timescolonist.com