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1805-11 Feltham

A collection of purpose-built rental homes that continue to rethink the rental experience. Through the TELUS Living experience this project aims to encompass high-quality, eco-living.

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Neighbourhood

Gordon Head

Home Type

Apartments

Residential Tenure

Purpose-Built Rental

Project Status

In Development

Community Open House | 1359 McKenzie Ave, 24 May 2023 @ 7pm

Proposed as the future home to TELUS Living—1805-11 Feltham is a mixed-use purpose-built rental concept that is fundamentally rethinking rental living potential. Looking to celebrate the rental experience, TELUS Living will provide high quality, refreshed rental housing to the Gordon Head area, with a commitment to enhance and invest in the existing community fabric.

Project Team

TELUS

Aryze

OMB Architects + Designers

Murdoch De Greeff Inc

Want more details?

Download the Application Brief

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TELUS Living

For the conscious renter, TELUS Living is the catalyst for connected communities that truly let you live, as TELUS Living deeply integrates design, technology and sustainability for an unparalleled sense of home, community and connection.

TELUS Living is a mixed-use purpose-built rental concept that is looking to reimagine the rental living experience with future-forward programming, residential amenities and services for tenants and guests. These homes will be designed with two key audiences in mind—established millennials and rightsizers who are seeking the freedom that leasing offers, without the burdens of homeownership.

The intention is to re-purpose under-utilized TELUS properties across Canada, to integrate core services to the rental experience and to amplify social contributions by engaging local residents. Providing high quality, well designed homes in a neighbourhood that has room to grow, TELUS Living will bring positive and sustainable change to Gordon Head, while meeting the broader objectives of the Saanich Housing Strategy.

Project Pillars

At the beginning stages of design development, we set out guiding parameters called Project Pillars. These are the guiding elements that our proposal has responded to and are prioritized by the entire project team.

Network Enhancements

TELUS is completing network enhancements in many areas across Canada to bring communities more reliable and sustainable PureFibre Network, which includes the retirement of the legacy copper network. This proposed development represents an opportunity for TELUS to upgrade critical communication infrastructure that serves many parts of Saanich—and even into Oak Bay—while reducing the amount of visible infrastructure within a residential neighbourhood. The TELUS living infrastructure services will be located in the parkade, allowing for continued maintenance and telecommunications access for the community with minimal impact on future residents and no impact on residential parking.

Purpose-Built Rental Housing

The Saanich Housing Strategy underscores the critical need for rental housing in the area—purpose-built rental housing not only encourages alternative housing models and tenure types to increase affordable options but also supports a greater diversity and supply of rental suites across Saanich. The subject site has been identified as a neighbourhood zone where missing middle housing can be considered in response to the directives outlined in the Official Community Plan. In addition to meeting this foundational need amidst a housing crisis, we are also responding to a mandate where TELUS needs to maintain ownership of the site, which removes the option of exploring a stratified lot where homes would be listed for sale.

Pedestrian Priority

The subject site at 1805-11 Feltham Road is divided by a pedestrian pathway that runs north/south between the two parcels of land. This path has been carefully considered throughout the design process, as the path itself is Right of Way owned by Saanich and is an important connection for the community going to and from Tyndall Avenue. We have prioritized enhancements to the pedestrian pathway, ensuring a welcoming, well-lit and safe experience for all pedestrians. Due to the unique residential/public utility use of the site, we have designed the project with the intent to acquire the public pathway from the District of Saanich with a dedication back under a surface access statutory right of way to secure the public’s access.

Site Context

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Legend

  1. WHITE = Subject Site Border
  2. YELLOW = Shared Pedestrian Pathway

The subject site, located at 1805-11 Feltham Road, is a consolidation of three pieces of land in Gordon Head, which is made up of three distinct components—an existing vacant house at 1809-11 Feltham which was acquired by TELUS last year, the existing TELUS infrastructure building at 1805 Feltham and, lastly, a pedestrian pathway that runs north/south between the parcels of land and is currently owned by the District of Saanich. This application proposes to purchase this land from the District in order to retain full public access to the pathway.

Site Layout & Massing

Each of the five “blocks” are expressed as a uniform element that are carved by stacked balconies and punch windows to lend a slender proportion. To distinguish the blocks from each other, contrasting white fibre-cement panels and charcoal profiled metal panels are used to render their volumes.

Project Renderings

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View From Tyndall Avenue

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South Facing Pathway

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Northwest corner looking southeast

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Northeast corner looking southwest

Telus Infrastrucutre

As a telecommunications provider, TELUS is completing network enhancements in many areas across Canada to bring communities the more reliable and sustainable PureFibre Network. This includes the retirement of the legacy copper network. TELUS PureFibre provides a 100% fibre connection, directly to your home, or business, bringing faster upload and download speeds than traditional copper-based networks.

With these technological advancements, TELUS no longer requires the same footprint for their infrastructure as they have in the past, which presents a unique opportunity. Rather than maintain the current P-2 Public Utility zoning, TELUS thought to explore alternative uses to regenerate the underutilized site while also responding to Saanich planning objectives in providing purpose-built rental housing. While the renewal of the TELUS infrastructure and overall network enhancements are guided by the federal Telecommunications Act, the development proposal for contributing purpose-built rental housing will follow the municipal process.

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Service Coverage Map

The 1805 Feltham Road lot current hosts a TELUS Network Building which serves a very important purpose in providing a large segment of the area’s telecommunications services, highlighted in the map above.

Why Fibre?

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Fibre and Internet Service

Fibre-optic embraced as the modern future of internet service

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Faster and More Efficient

Data can travel faster and further on the PureFibre Network

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Longevity

Durable technology needs less repairs, replacement and service interruptions

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Sustainable Infrastructure

Requires less energy to operate and reduces waste

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Customer Benefits

More reliable, secure and cost-effective for people and businesses

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Renewable Assets

Retired copper technology can be repurposed for new uses

Project at a Glance

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Height

5 Storeys

Site Area

37,092 sqft

Floor Area

26,444 sqft

Commercial Space

832 sqft

FSR

2.15 FSR

Lot Coverage

46%

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North Setback

5.14m

East Setback

3.81m

South Setback

4.06m

West Setback

3.84m

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Number of Homes

91 Homes

Studio

27 Homes

One Bedroom

31 Homes

Two Bedroom

24 Homes

Three Bedroom

9 Homes

Residential Tenure

Purpose-Built Rental

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Long-Term Bike Stalls

91 Stalls

Short-Term Bike Stalls

6 Stalls

Car Parking Stalls

61 Stalls

Neighbourhood

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Celebrated for its convenient access to a multitude of parks, schools and other service offerings, Gordon Head is uniquely situated to accommodate increased housing choice for Saanich’s growing population.

Areas along the Feltham Road corridor are particularly suitable for residential intensification and purpose-built rental housing since these sites are well connected to key transit routes. Situated along a key transit corridor for the area, the subject site is well positioned to promote a ‘15 Minute City’ lifestyle. Within  a close walking distance—or short bike ride—you’ll find schools, healthcare facilities, numerous parks and the Shelbourne Corridor.

Community Engagement

Having honest, open dialogues within the communities where we do our work is foundational to our engagement process and our commitment to being good neighbours.

Engagement Timeline

Community envisioning exercise survey

October 7th, 2021

Neighbour introduction and 1-on-1 meetings

February 10th, 2022

Gordon Head Community Association Meeting

February 16th, 2022

Follow-up neighbour outreach

February 17th, 2022

CIS Invitation distributed to 200M radius

February 17th, 2022

Wider area outreach

March 2nd, 2023

Community Information Session (CIS)

March 9th, 2022

Gordon Head Community Association follow-up meeting

March 14th, 2023

Follow-up neighbour outreach and 1-on-1 meetings

March 15th, 2023

Application Process

Step 1

Pre-Design Consultation

Step 2

Design Development

Step 3

Rezoning/DP Application

Step 4

Municipal Staff Review

Step 5

Advisory Design Panel

Step 6

Committee of the Whole

Step 7

Public Hearing

Step 8

Building Permit

Step 9

Building Construction

Step 10

Tenant Occupancy