admin NEWS, PROJECTS

Beulah Creek Village Update

January 2025

Construction of the Beulah Creek Village project is underway at the 7.4-hectare site at 5040 Central Road.

Hornby Island Housing Society (HIHS) has partnered with M’akola Housing Society (MHS) to build, operate and manage this rental unit project. The 26 homes are a combination of studios, apartments, and townhouses.

Hornby Island Housing Society (HIHS) has entered into the partnership with M’akola through a long-term lease agreement, under an Operating Agreement with BC Housing and subject to a Section 219 covenant. MHS has over 30 years of experience operating affordable housing. Over this time, MHS has collaborated with numerous government and community partners to deliver high-quality affordable housing.

Beulah Creek location, 1040 Central Road

Design and layout

Beulah Creek Village is designed as a cluster of three buildings organized around a central green corridor. Of the 26 units, there will be 3 studio units, 12 one-bedroom units, 8 two-bedrooms, and 3 three-bedroom units. One of the 1-bedroom units is designed to be fully accessible.


The first two buildings are two-storeys in height and provide 23 of the homes along with storage spaces. The third building is located at the centre of the Village and includes a common space for tenants, and laundry facilities. The 3-bedroom family units will be constructed as part of this building.

Sustainability

The Creek itself is a considerable factor in the layout of the Village. With the site’s proximity to Beulah Creek, and many smaller watercourses that cut through this property, a significant amount of land is to be reserved for riparian areas.

These riparian area setbacks are provincial requirements under the Riparian Area Protection Regulation; they dictate site clearing limits and, in large part, lot configuration.
Sustainability and Energy Targets: BC Housing’s Design Guidelines and Construction Standards require all BC Housing-funded projects to meet the upper steps of the BC Energy Step Code. This regulation, enacted in 2017, aims to make all buildings net-zero energy-ready by 2032.

Beulah Creek structure and affordability

Beulah Creek’s rental rate structure is proposed to align directly with BC Housing’s Community Housing Fund rental rate structure. Affordability is based on 30% of the units being rented out at a near market value, 50% of the units at rent geared to income (RGI), (RGI refers to a type of subsidized housing where the housing provider matches your rent to how much income you earn), and 20% of the units will be rented at deep subsidy rates, as defined by BC Housing.

The Beulah Creek Housing project received Final Project Approval from BC Housing early Fall 2024 and AFC Construction began work on the site later in September. Kevin Albers, CEO of M’akola Housing Society, was the special guest at the December 2024 HIHS AGM. Here’s what Kevin reported:
The 26-unit breakdown is as follows:
3 studio
12 one-bedroom
8 two-bedrooms
3 three-bedrooms

Cost

18 million dollar project (approx.700,000 per unit).
BC Housing requires the housing to be Built to Step 4 standards for high energy efficiency to both reduce utility costs for tenants and minimize greenhouse gas emissions.

Funding Sources

• Approx. 8.5 million dollars in grants:
• BC Housing 6.9 million subsidy
• CMHC 1.3 million
• CVRD 100,000
• Mortgage 9.5 million (to be held by M’akola)
• HIHS Land

Construction Company

AFC Construction: familiar to many on Hornby, as the company is Hornby based. Kevin described AFC as well respected in the Comox Valley and said M’akola has first-hand experience working with them in the Valley.

Completion Date

Re a completion date, Kevin Albers cautioned that although there is a goal of welcoming families across the threshold in the Spring of 2026, he’s learned that unexpected events can create unanticipated delays.

 

Tentative Rent Structure
Kevin cautioned that although M’akola is looking at the following rent structure, at the end of the project, rental rates will be determined by the total costs that must be covered. The make-up of the rental structure is set by BC Housing and is unlikely to change.

5 homes are prescribed by this funding program to be offered at “deep-subsidy” – set by the provincial government, $445 for a single person or $635 for 2 people.

13 homes – are to be “rent geared to Income” – aiming for approximately $800 for a 1-bedroom and $1000 for a 2-bedroom

8 homes – rent will be based on “low-market” rate – approximately $1500 for a 2-bedroom and $1800 for a 3-bedroom.

Beulah Creek Eligibility

A lot of work has been done on establishing eligibility criteria. The following priority demographics have been agreed upon:
Current Hornby residents who have lived on the island for at least one year
Non-Hornby Island residents who have worked on the island for a minimum of 1 year
Non-Hornby Island residents who have upcoming year-round work of an essential nature
Members of the K’ómoks First Nations

The list of criteria will be followed when selecting tenants. If there are no eligible tenants, the criteria will be broadened. Units must be filled for the project to be financially viable. In order to be considered for tenancy in the units that are designated shelter rate and/or rent geared to income rate, a person or family must be registered with the BC Housing Registry. M’akola will select tenants from that Registry. For the low-market units, potential residents will apply directly to M’akola rather than through the BC Housing Registry. HIHS plans to organize a workshop to support Hornby residents interested in applying for housing at Beulah.

Community members considering applying to live at Beulah Creek should submit their application either online or by paper to the BC Housing Registry 2 or 3 months prior to the project completion date. It is critical that all applicants contact M’akola to confirm that their application has been received and is complete:

1-877-384 – 1423 Ext 1 for Housing Applications
Email address:  applications@makola.bc.ca

Housing Agreement

The Housing Agreement between Hornby Island Housing Society, M’akola and Islands Trust has passed first, second and third readings and will be registered on the Beulah Creek land title in January, possibly earlier.

Summary of Q & A with Kevin Albers:

1. Will gardening be allowed?
I am pretty confident that there is lots of room for a community garden on the site.

2. Where do I find the housing application?
Any housing provider can print it off for you and it is online at the BC Housing website.

3. Where am I on the eligibility priorities if I lived on the island, but moved off for my teen to attend high school and what about those who have come back intermittently?
It is well understood and accepted that Hornby Island residents will take priority.

4. Will pets be permitted?
Yes, one pet per household, under 30 pounds.

5. Is Shelter Rate only for studios?
No, they are also for 1-bedrooms. In total there are 3 studios and 2 1-bedrooms.

6. What is the setback from the ALR to the north? Did you consult with ALR about the required setback?

I think it is 10 metres. … Kevin referred the question to Michael McNamara, who said:
Short answer is “I don’t know”, longer answer is “quite a ways”. To be accurate I would have to measure. It is not required to consult with ALR, but the setback is way more than 10 metres.

7. Beulah Creek is not yet on BCH website or on the Makola website. Spring 2026 is still far away. When should I apply?
Anyone can apply today on the BCH Registry. However, if you reject more than two offered units, you lose your ranking in the system. That is why it is recommended that you do not submit until two or three months before the completion date of the Beulah Creek project, unless you are willing to live elsewhere.

8. Would you consider info on Hornby Community Connections Facebook page?
M’akola does not put anything on Facebook. A major concern is that if, for example, the rent structure is posted and then it needs to change, then there is negative feedback.

9. Is it accurate that applicants should have filed their income tax and they should do that if they have not yet done so?
Financial information dependent on your income source is required for all units. This may include tax returns, pension documentation, current pay stubs, or confirmation from the Ministry.

10. Do those who are applying for the low-market rate housing apply through the BCH registry?
No, they apply directly to M’akola and the best time to do that is when the Beulah Creek project shows up on the M’akola website.

11. Do the same asset levels apply to the low-market rate units as for the shelter and rent geared to income units?

Applicants will be required to meet the Housing Income Limits (HIL’s) required by
BC Housing and will need to show proof of income as part of the application process. The rents will be set at the average market rate at the time of the application.

12. Is the application a competition or first come, first served?
The application is not based on date, but on need. That is why some folks are on the list for years as someone else may have a higher need.

13. How are needs assessed at M’akola?
Applicants will be evaluated based on residency requirements and their level of housing need. Priority is given to individuals who are homeless or fleeing abuse, followed by those who are housed but facing unaffordable rent.

14. How do the colours and materials fit with the Hornby aesthetic or was affordable and sustainable a higher priority?
The priority was to pick products that are durable, so that replacement costs would be minimized. The chosen products are not the low end or the top end.

My first thought, damn grey and black, put some color in there? If the cost was the same, please try for the colour. My house is painted yellow and I am always happy to see it. Driving through woods, on a dark night, seeing different color would be more fun.
I agree.

15. How will the property be managed? At a distance or on site?
We are looking at what is a good model for this project. We may use a caretaker model, maybe not on-site, and we may work with HIHS, to maximize efficiencies.

16. If people start making more money, does it jeopardize your tenancy?
Tenants residing in Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) units are subject to annual income reviews, which may result in their rent remaining the same or being adjusted based on their current income. For those in Shelter Rate units, rent is covered by the Ministry or pension, and the income for these units typically remains unchanged. Tenants in low-end-of-market units are not required to undergo annual income testing.

17. What are the income levels for Shelter Rates?
There will be income bands for the various rents. We will post that when the M’akola website for Beulah Creek is live.

18. Are shelter rates only for those on Social Assistance?
They will be for tenants on PWD assistance and seniors with a fixed pension.

19. Are specific units limited to the various categories of Shelter Rate, Rent Geared to Income and Lower Market Rate?
This is set initially and then it will change as the years pass. As there are turnovers, the goal is to maintain the ratio set by BC Housing and still pay the mortgage.

admin NEWS, PROJECTS

Beulah Creek Housing Project Gets Go-Ahead

Provincial MLA Josie Osbourne has announced “Huge housing news for Hornby Island!”

“I am proud to announce that we are partnering with the Hornby Island Housing Society and BC Housing to bring 26 much-needed affordable homes to beautiful Hornby Island. As of this week, it’s ‘officially official’ that construction is going to begin on the Beulah Creek Housing project! ”

“When our affordable housing project in my home community of Tofino opened earlier this year, I saw first-hand the incredible impact it has on local families, and I cannot wait to see and hear the stories from Hornby Islanders when they move in (ETA late 2025)”.

“The new Beulah Creek Village will provide a rural, village-type feel that suits this small Island community and will include studio, 1, 2 and 3-bedroom homes with:
13 rent-geared-to-income units
5 low-income units
8 market rental units”

“I cannot express enough the profound gratitude and appreciation I have for all the people on Hornby Island that have brought this project to life—with environmental stewardship and design at the core of their planning—including: the Weiss family, who donated the land; the HIHS Board and staff (and ISLA and the Elder Housing Society before HIHS); local builder AFC Construction; so many supportive local organizations, local representatives past and present from Islands Trust; and our local elected official Daniel Arbour, Director Comox Valley – Baynes Sound, Denman/Hornby”

 

Pictured above, left to right:  Michael McNamara, JoAnn Harrison, Alan Fletcher, Josie Osbourne, Jaime Begin, Tor Nawrot

Beulah Creek rendition

UPDATE: More information will come about rents, tenant eligibility, and application processes. M’akola Housing (as the operator of this development) will lead these processes together with B.C. Housing and with input from HIHS.
#affordablehousing #hornbyisland

admin NEWS

HIHS Receives Grant from Comox Valley Community Foundation

Hornby Island Housing Society (HIHS) has received $4000.00 from the Comox Valley Community Foundation to create a much needed housing strategy.  The grant came from the Comox Valley Ending Homelessness funding stream. It will be used to hire a facilitator to lead a process that will result in the creation of an inclusive and comprehensive housing strategy for our island.

Without this funding, we would not be able to accomplish this goal as we do not have the capacity to coordinate such a process without a skilled facilitator.  It was exciting to be informed that our application was successful as we have been working towards this goal for a long time. We feel that we as a community are ready to work together to identify our needs and priorities.   We are all feeling hopeful that what we create will guide our community for years to come and help us secure additional funding as needed.

admin NEWS

Hornby Island Housing Society Seeks Board Members

 

  • Are you keen to support the creation of affordable housing on Hornby?
  • Have you got energy to put towards working on housing issues?
  • Can you offer time to help manage the housing the Society has already created?

Hornby Island Housing Society is seeking new Board Members who will shape the future of affordable housing on our Island.

There’s no time like the present to join those of us working on the housing cause. Our Beulah Creek Village proposal is before the Island Trustees and Trust planners for review. Following the September Trust meeting, we’ll be encouraging the community to bring their comments and support to a community information meeting.

The Elder Village, with its 11 fully occupied rental units, is considering opportunities for expansion. Other Island housing projects, for summer worker housing and possibly a manufactured home park, are being developed and need input and feedback. Policy around eligibility criteria for Hornby residents wishing to move to Beulah Creek will need
to be developed.

What do we do as active Board members?

• We work on behalf of the community with development consultants, other professionals, the provincial housing authority, and Islands Trust to bring Beulah Creek family housing to fruition.
• We oversee and coordinate the work of our able contractors to manage the homes and infrastructure at the Elder Housing Village.
• We provide responsible financial management of the Society’s assets.
• We advocate for more solutions to the Island housing crisis.
• We communicate via website and updates to keep the community informed.
• We fundraise via community appeals and grants to resource housing work.
• We develop and maintain policies to guide the Society.
• We coordinate with other Island organizations to work on responses to housing needs.

Please consider becoming part of our housing team. You’ll find more information about HIHS at hornbyhousing.org. Our AGM is scheduled for Sunday October 16. If you would like to join us on the HIHS board please contact Board chair, JoAnn Harrison, at joharrison@telus.net.

Thank you!

admin NEWS, PROJECTS

HOUSING NEWS!

We’re excited to have good news to report! The Beulah Creek Village project has moved forward: an application for Development Permits has been submitted to the Islands Trust.

Beulah Creek Village is planning for 26 rental units. The homes are a combination of studios, apartments, and townhouses. They’re to be built on the 7.4-hectare site at 5040 Central Road.

Currently, the project team is working to secure funding through BC Housing’s Community Housing Fund and pursuing additional funding options, including Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Co-Investment Fund. The Comox Valley Regional District has further expressed their commitment to the project through a generous equity donation.

Hornby Island Housing Society (HIHS) has entered into a partnership with M’akola Housing Society (MHS), through the execution of a long-term lease agreement for the operation and management of affordable housing units, under an Operating Agreement with BC Housing and subject to a Section 219 covenant. MHS has over 30 years of experience operating affordable housing. Over this time, MHS has collaborated with numerous government and community partners to deliver high-quality affordable housing and they are extremely excited to have partnered with HIHS, with the aim of providing affordable rental options to the community of Hornby Island. MHS will manage the homes through an experienced property manager.

Beulah Creek Village is designed as a cluster of three buildings organized around a central green corridor.  Of the 26 units, there will be 3 studio units, 12 one-bedroom units, 8 two-bedrooms, and 3 three-bedroom units. One of the 1-bedroom units is designed to be fully accessible.

The first two buildings are two-storey in height and provide twenty-three of the homes along with storage spaces. The third building is located at the center of the Village and includes a common space for tenants, and laundry facilities. The 3-bedroom family units will be constructed as part of this building.

A lot of work has been completed to bring Beulah Creek Village to this stage, supported by BC Housing Pre-Development Funding (PDF). Due diligence on the site has included geotechnical, environmental, and survey work. Studio 531 Architects have completed conceptual, schematic, and design development level drawings of the proposed site. BC Housing has reviewed and approved the concept designs. Rezoning has been finalized with Islands Trust. Land appraisal has been carried out. The arborist report identifies danger trees. Hydrogeological reporting has assessed the onsite well and provided groundwater documentation. There is continued consultation with K’ómoks First Nation.

The Creek itself is a considerable factor in the layout of the Village. With the site’s proximity to Beulah Creek, and many smaller watercourses that cut through this property, a significant amount of land is to be reserved for riparian areas. These riparian area setbacks are provincial requirements under the Riparian Area Protection Regulation; they will dictate site clearing limits and, in large part, lot configuration.

Proposed Site Infrastructure: An upgrade to the existing access road into the Beulah Creek site has been designed in collaboration with the Hornby Island Fire Department to ensure adequate emergency vehicle access. The fire suppression system will include a hydrant, fire pump and fire supply storage tanks.

Beulah Creek Village will utilize an existing well. There is a small water treatment building and storage tank for potable water. Pump tests were successful, and a Water Supply System Construction Permit has been issued. There is a stand-by generator to be used for lighting and emergency heat loads during power outages. Wastewater will be handled by a type 2 sanitary treatment system.

Sustainability and Energy Targets: BC Housing’s Design Guidelines and Construction Standards require all BC Housing-funded projects to meet the upper steps of the BC Energy Step Code. This regulation, enacted in 2017, aims to make all buildings net-zero energy-ready by 2032.

With the support of CMHC funding, the project would be subject to additional energy targets including reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Affordability: Beulah Creek’s rental rate structure is proposed to align directly with BC Housing’s Community Housing Fund rental rate structure. Affordability is based on 30% of the units being rented out at a near market value, 50% of the units at rent geared to income (RGI), (RGI refers to a type of subsidized housing where the housing provider matches your rent to how much income you earn), and 20% of the units will be rented at deep subsidy rates, as defined by BC Housing.

So when is the move-in date? The project schedule will become clearer as key milestones are met, and funding timelines are fixed. The awarding of development and siting permits will be an excellent next step!

admin Uncategorized

Beulah Creek Village Needs Your Help!

Is affordable housing on Hornby Island important to you?
Do you, your friends, your family or your employees need somewhere safe and secure to live?

The development at Beulah Creek, envisioned to create 26 units of affordable rentals for individuals, couples and families is set to do just that– but IT NEEDS YOUR HELP NOW.

WRITE A LETTER AND EXPRESS YOUR SUPPORT for this project and send it by mail or email to the addresses below. If you need ideas on what to write, I have attached a template.

Thank you for doing your part bringing affordable housing to Hornby!

Send a letter by mail:

BC Housing Chief Executive Officer, Shayne Ramsay sramsay@bchousing.org

Shayne Ramsay

CEO BC Housing

1701-4555 Kingsway

Burnaby, BC V5H 4V8

Send a letter by e-mail:

BC Housing Chief Executive Officer, Shayne Ramsay sramsay@bchousing.org

BC Housing Malcom McNaughton mmcnaughton@bchousing.org

BC Housing Kirsten Baillie kbaillie@bchousing.org

Mid-Island Pacific Rim MLA Josie Osborne josie.osborne.MLA@leg.bc.ca

HIHS hornbyislandhousing@gmail.com

cc:

Minister David Eby, Minister Responsible for Housing AG.minister@gov.bc.ca

Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns gord.johns@parl.gc.ca

Hornby Island Local Trust Committee (Grant Scott, Alex Allen, Sue Ellen Fast) gscott@islandstrust.bc.ca aallen@islandstrust.bc.ca sfast@islandstrust.bc.ca northinfo@islandstrust.bc.ca

CVRD Director Daniel Arbour reachme@danielarbour.ca

M’akola Housing Society CEO- Kevin Albers – kalbers@makola.bc.ca

Beulah Creek Project Support Letter Template.docx

admin Uncategorized

Beulah Creek Project Update

At a pre-meeting held before the Hornby Island Housing Society AGM on October 20th, 2021, the team working on Beulah Creek gave a project update. Attending guests, via Zoom, were:

  • Lindsay Monk and Graham Burns from M’akola Development Services, the project’s development consultants
  • Kevin Albers from M’akola Housing Society, the organization that will take on the construction and operation of the Village
  • Kirsten Baillie from BC Housing (BCH)
  • Alan Fletcher from AFC, providing pre-construction services 

Sixty-two members of the Hornby community were also on the Zoom.

Lindsay Monk led the presentation. She described the work that has taken place on the project since the community open house last February 2021. She highlighted the site features and the challenges they present.

She explained that the current budget estimate creates an ongoing operating subsidy that is higher than BC Housing can support. A subsidy from BC Housing will be required because the projected rents will not be able to cover both the operating costs and the mortgage payments. Thus a subsidy will be needed for the duration of the 35-year mortgage period in order to keep the rents affordable.

The high cost of this project was described as due to a number of factors:

  • the increase in material costs since the project was first costed
  • the challenge of transporting materials and/or workers to the island
  • the cost of the infrastructure on a very challenging site with a creek, wetlands and a high water table.
  • the cost of the road building and site remediation due to the road cutting through a riparian area
  • the cost of storm management requirements again due to the regulations regarding riparian areas

The guests from BCH and M’akola Housing all reaffirmed that they are committed to building affordable housing on the island and that they understand that the cost for doing so will be considerably higher than building elsewhere.  They believe strongly in people being able to live in their community and will do what they can to achieve that goal on Hornby.

The current construction plan under discussion is to build onsite using as much local labour as possible, as the cost building with pre-fabricated units was higher than anticipated.  M’akola, BCH and AFC are continuing to work collaboratively, and being as creative as possible, to reduce the costs of the project enough for it to meet BCH’s funding approval.

Once the budget is finalized, the project plan will be brought to the community, as part of the Development Permit process with Islands Trust, hopefully in early 2022.

 Question/Comments: 

Looks like this project is dead in the water, that the requirements from Island Health may have killed it.  What are the chances that this project will be underway within the next year?

Response:  Island Health is only one of the many agencies involved and all have requirements including BC Housing.  All of the projects that M’akola is working on are experiencing the same challenges with rising costs while trying to provide achievable, affordable and sustainable housing in their communities.   It was acknowledged that this is a tough situation given the constraints of the site and reaffirmed that all involved are committed to working on it.

Question/Comments: 

What is the percentage of the possibility of this project being started within the next year?

Response:

The budget considerations need to be resolved first and then the project can be brought to the Islands Trust in early 2022.  There are some processes that are outside the control of BCH and M’akola such as the approval process for the Development Permit and they will take as long as they take.

It is common that there are challenges with this scale of project.  The pre-fab construction was more expensive than anticipated and costs have been reduced by planning to use onsite building with local crews.  The local politicians are very supportive and all involved really want this to go ahead with the design that was presented to the community in the Spring.

     Question/Comments: 

How does the cost per unit compare to other projects?

     Response:

AFC estimates that it costs about 35% higher to build on Hornby than in the city due to the lack of infrastructure and the cost of transporting labour and materials to the island.  Some of that higher cost can be addressed through using local labor and the landing barge to transport materials.  The costs due to the challenges of the site itself are estimated at an additional $60,000 per unit.    

     Question/Comments: 

What makes up the soft costs? 

 Response;

Soft costs include the design consultants, inspectors, appraisals, civil engineering, environmental assessment and reports, surveying, BC Hydro, contingency, and the various permit fees.

Question/Comments: 

If the current Beulah Creek property were to be sold and if a similar property could be found that did not have all the infrastructure challenges, would our costs go down?

Response:

That option was considered but there would probably not be any savings at this point because of all the pre-development work that has been done.  There may be savings on the civil work, but those savings would be used to repeat all the pre-work that has been done for the current site.

Question/Comments: 

What is the highest cost per square foot that BCH has approved in the past?

Response:

The concern is not so much about the capital cost but the cost due to the operating subsidy that BCH will provide for the duration of the 35-year mortgage.  BCH is committed to developing on the islands but is experiencing funding pressures province-wide due to Covid 19, the rising cost of materials and the lack of availability of some materials.   BCH understands that a design that would work well in the city will not work here, nor do they want to do that.  At the same time, the costs have to be reduced further.  The team has done a great job already significantly reducing the original budget proposal.

The highest exact cost per square foot that BC Housing has approved is not known to us, however capital costs are unique to each project and community. The team is working to reduce the costs, while being mindful of the specific characteristics and complexities of the site and project, as well as the current building climate.

      Question/Comments: 

Is BCH likely to increase the budget at all?

     Response:

Although BCH has not formally committed to this project at this time, they have committed the Pre-Development costs which are significant.   BCH understands that the building costs have increased since the first proposal in 2018.   The project team is looking at other options to secure additional funding.  This will help to drive down the ongoing subsidy amount reducing the financial risk to BCH over the duration of the mortgage.

Question/Comments: 

How much over the acceptable BCH subsidy is the current cost?

Response:

The finances are complex as the project cost includes capital, soft and operational expenses including the ongoing subsidy from BCH for the duration of the mortgage.   Part of costing the project includes forecasting the mortgage interest rate.

The difference between where the subsidy is at the current cost of the project and where it needs to be is 20 to 25% over what BCH will approve.

Question:

If part of the project cost depends on forecasting the mortgage rate, are you waiting for a better time before taking out a mortgage?

Response:

The rate available for construction financing is one element; the take-out mortgage comes into play when the project is deemed completed and ready for occupancy. We are using rates forecasted by BC Housing.

Question/Comments: 

Who will cover the cost of the Pre-Development no interest loan if the project does not go ahead?

Response: 

The Pre-Development funding gets wrapped up into the mortgage. It would be at BC Housing’s discretion to forgive any Pre-Development funding if the project did not move ahead.

Question/Comments: 

I live in an apartment block now and it is wonderful.  The idea of single homes is expensive.  Apartment blocks can be good. Would the project team look at building an apartment block on the island?

Response:

We are trying to keep the flavor of the current design however, an apartment block would save money.  There is a community feel in the current design and that is preferred.  On a personal note, AFC just completed the new school and would love to continue with another project that is unique and interesting that adds to our community.

Not at this time.  There could come a time when there needs to be a hard conversation, maybe at some point, but not now.