A local developer is suggesting the city issue permits in some areas to residents for on-street parking.

Tony Zedda of 360 Design Build appeared before council Monday evening. He spoke about 360’s application for a zoning amendment that would allow the company’s 10-unit micro-housing development to go ahead at 305 Hawkins St.

The project would see a four-storey structure built on the vacant lot with 2,702 square feet of commercial space along with the 10 one-bedroom units that would each be between 350 and 411 square feet.

The company was one of two developers to receive funding from the Yukon government’s affordable housing initiative earlier this year.

It was approved for $500,000 to build the development. Under the initiative, the units must be kept as affordable housing, with 360 proposing a rent of $795 per month for the units.

The developer is asking the city to amend the zoning to no longer require the private amenity space that’s typically provided through a small deck on apartment units.

Instead, the city is being asked to allow for a large shared amenity space in the form of a rooftop patio that would be available to all tenants.

The 500-square-foot rooftop space would exceed both the amount of space required for shared and private amenity space in the current zoning.

The developer is also asking that the requirement for six off-street parking spaces – at a rate of one spot for every two units, plus one parking spot for visitors – be reduced by one.

Concerns over parking in the downtown dominated council discussion when the proposal was brought forward last week. A number of council members pointed to the already-tight parking situation in the area.

At Monday’s session, Zedda focused much of his presentation on addressing the parking situation.

He noted the tight parking seems to be an issue that comes with many drivers who work downtown coming into the neighbourhood during the workday in the hopes of finding a free parking spot on the street.

“Your parking management plan from 2011 specifically identifies this area as an area of concern because people in the neighbourhood have been complaining that people live there, that there is no parking because from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., (spots) are taken up by people who work downtown but don’t actually live there,” Zedda said.

Using a photo comparison, he first showed one picture of the street during a weekday when vehicles are lined up along the sides of the road. He then displayed another taken after 6 p.m. on a weekday showing an empty street.

“The street is essentially deserted,” Zedda said.

He then put forward the idea for a parking permit program in such areas. While residents would receive the permits for free, those who don’t live there and are looking for parking would pay for spots.

Coun. Betty Irwin was the first to quiz Zedda on the development.

She pointed out other jurisdictions offer alternative transit incentives to residents of micro-housing developments to encourage fewer vehicles being on the street.

A pilot program in Seattle offers discounts to those living in developments that are on the main transit routes. Other programs offer free bike-share memberships and the like.

Irwin also asked Zedda for more details on the project, noting storage lockers on the ground floor will be provided to residents, as will bicycle parking. The individual units will each come equipped with laundry facilities.

Coun. Dan Boyd then thanked Zedda for the information he brought forward.

Mayor Dan Curtis went on to note the city’s excitement in seeing an affordable housing development added to the downtown sector.

Zedda said developers too have been “antsy” to work on such initiatives.

While the need has been evident for some time, he said, without some sort of program to assist developers, it wasn’t financially viable.

Though it’s still not a significant money-making venture, the incentives are enough to make the private sector want to build affordable housing, Zedda said.

Council approved first reading on the zoning amendments, paving the way for a public hearing on the application to be held at council’s Dec. 12 meeting.

A staff report on the hearing will then come forward Jan. 9 with second and third readings expected to be voted on Jan. 16.