By Laura Keil
Pheidias Group—the firm owned by Oberto Oberti who led the concept design of Valemount Glacier Destinations—is partnering with the Village of Valemount on a residential fourplex.
Mayor Owen Torgerson says the Village is entering into negotiations with Pheidias to sell a plot of Village-owned land at fair market value for construction of a fourplex and the Village will commit to buying one unit up to $400,000. The other three units would belong to Pheidias to use or sell at their discretion. It would be the first strata development in the Village (stratas are units such as condos that share a parcel of land, for example, but retain individual ownership of living units).
The Village-owned lot picked out for the development is on 6th avenue next to the former Mountain Driftwood Gallery & Lodging. Torgerson says it will need rezoning to build four units. The public would get to have their say at the rezoning hearing, but Torgerson doesn’t anticipate big opposition. He says most people see the need for staff housing, including medical staff, he notes, people whose jobs support the health of the entire community.
He says building concepts are already in discussion, and he anticipates the project to be a two-story structure with multi-bedroom units.
Torgerson says the Village, as current property owner, will likely be on the hook for utility hook-ups, but Pheidias would be responsible for all permits as would any other developer.
