Comox council gave third reading to a 19-lot single-family subdivision on Lazo Road at Wednesday鈥檚 meeting, but some councillors inquired about the need for more park space in the area.

In April, Derek Jensen of McElhanney Consulting Services presented to council a review of the proposal for 1182 Lazo Road, which saw rezoning the property from a single family - large lot to a single family parcel zone to facilitate the subdivision. The existing single-family house and accessory building are proposed to be demolished at the time of subdivision.

A public open house was held on Aug. 3, 2016, at which time preliminary drawings were made available to the public for review and comment.

Jensen noted the 1.54 ha subject property has been largely cleared of native vegetation in the past, replacing it with an orchard and residential building.

While it is located within an increasingly urbanized area, it does provide and 鈥榚dge habitat鈥�, migration pathways and feeding opportunities for the deer population.

He explained the development will push deer migratory pathways south to the future Lazo Greenway, and while not an idea location due to traffic, the 12m wide greenway will help retain some connectively with the Lazo Conservation and Lazo Wildlife Management Areas for the deer.

Coun. Russ Arnott said while only a handful of residents attended the public meeting, feedback indicated a playground park is needed in the area.

Couns. Barbara Price and Hugh MacKinnon agreed, but Coun. Ken Grant reminded council they have in the past already discussed having linear parks, and that there is a park about seven blocks away from the development.

鈥淭here is increasingly a shortage of single family lots, which is causing in a large part, our affordable housing crisis 鈥� the one thing we don鈥檛 have is single family lots - that helps calm the real estate market,鈥� he noted.

Price questioned how the development adds to affordable housing, and asked council as developments increasingly move more into green spaces, if they should consider other forms of development.

鈥淚n terms of affordable housing, someone coming from Vancouver or Victoria considers Comox a pretty affordable place to live,鈥� added Mayor Paul Ives.

The motion for the rezoning application, development permit an development variance permit passed unanimously.