By Marelle Reid

Mission Record

District of Mission council unanimously approved the much-debated application to build a 15-bed group home for mentally challenged clients, in a vote Monday night.

Mayor James Atebe revived the application after a surprise defeat of the motion to approve the application at a previous council meeting.

Council’s earlier decision to turn down the application was based on concerns about parking and waste management, which have since been allayed by assurances from waste management contractors and municipal planners.

“There have been a lot of improvements [made] since that application,” said Councillor Terry Gidda, who had initially voted against the application. “We want to make sure the garbage disposal is looked after, and now it seems like it will be.”

The proposal includes a new building that will replace the existing 12-bed facility on the property on Second Avenue owned by Aida and Salvador Castro.

The existing building will be used as a single-family dwelling once construction of the new building is complete.

Councillor Paul Horn on Monday said he was still concerned about the restrictive covenant the owners will have to enter into with the district, which limits the number of residents at the existing house on the property, but voted with the rest of the council in favour of the application.

The covenant states the existing house will be deemed a single-family home, which limits occupancy to one family or a maximum of three people not related by marriage or blood.

The next step after Monday’s approval of the application will be to have the bylaw adopted, and then construction can begin.

The design of the proposed building will be similar to the surrounding homes and will be built just to the west of the existing house. Access will be through a lane, which the applicants will be responsible for constructing.