Planning commission reviews sketch plat for Victoria Condos, raises parking and pedestrian concerns

The City of Victoria Planning Commission discussed a sketch plat for Victoria Condos, a proposed mixed‑use building by Monarch Development and Ghani Homes in the downtown Central Business District. Staff and the applicant presented the downsized proposal (10 condominium units, two ground‑floor commercial spaces and a private storage/showroom space) and fielded detailed questions about parking, sidewalks, shoreline standards and building design.

City planner Brian McCann told the commission the project covers three parcels (two city‑owned) near Steiger Lake and is within the shoreland overlay. "They are proposing 10 condominium units as well as 2 ground floor commercial spaces," McCann said, adding the building is proposed at 49 feet, under the 50‑foot maximum for the downtown district. McCann said the site is roughly 400 feet from Steiger Lake, so shoreland setbacks and impervious‑surface rules apply; because the project already exceeds an 80% impervious cap in the downtown shoreland district, staff said the commission and council could consider a variance if stormwater management is not made worse.

The commission focused heavily on parking and street activity. McCann said the existing city parking lot contains 43 spaces and the design would reconfigure access points; the applicant proposes a total of 86 stalls (including an underground garage) and, after accounting for private underground stalls, McCann described a net increase of about 23 public stalls downtown. Commissioners pressed how visitor and overnight parking would be handled and whether some stalls would effectively be reserved; the applicant and staff said some inventory may be available in the garage but details will be refined in later preliminary‑plat and design review stages.

Members also questioned the ground‑floor private showroom proposed by property owner Rich Gannon. Applicant Carl Brock said Gannon intends to retain three ground‑floor spaces (one for storage and two that could become retail) and that the showroom has historical precedent; a design presenter described elements such as arched windows and stepped parapets inspired by historic carriage houses and the site's former firehouse. Staff noted that a showroom or similar "showroom" use could be treated as a permitted or conditional use in the Central Business District and may require code clarifications or specific conditional‑use standards.

Pedestrian design drew specific requests. Commissioners flagged a proposed 5‑foot sidewalk where city guidance calls for 6 feet and staff suggested considering 8–10 feet in the downtown core, especially where an overhead door might open onto the sidewalk. Brian McCann said engineering staff also raised concerns about fire access at Kwamaklit and recommended keeping at least one existing access point for emergency access; that requirement could reduce some proposed parking stalls and will be reviewed further by engineering and public works.

No formal vote or recommendation was required at the sketch‑plat stage. McCann said staff will work with the applicant on parking layout, access easements, sidewalk width, conditional‑use language for a showroom if needed, shoreland impervious calculations and other engineering comments as the project moves toward a preliminary plat and any necessary rezoning or variance requests. Brian McCann also reminded commissioners that the next planning commission meeting is scheduled for Sept. 2 and that staff will return with redlines and additional details as the submittal evolves.