White Rock city council has approved a controversial complex that will see 14 townhouses go up on Foster Street.

The approval comes after council heard from residents during a public hearing earlier this month, during which the majority of speakers came out against the project, citing concerns of density and view obstructions for the area.

However, after taking the concerns into consideration, council unanimously approved the project Monday night.

For Mayor Wayne Baldwin, the project was keeping in line with the city's Official Community Plan (OCP) and approving a 14-unit townhouse complex was more preferable than having something like a 30-unit condo building going up instead.

"Now there won't be a massive wall, there is a view corridor down the middle, so it's not like a block structure that would simply obliterate the views," said Baldwin. "So it's probably a better form than a large condo structure."

Baldwin also noted that a townhouse complex would lessen the anticipated traffic impact of a condo development - a key concern for opponents - as there would be fewer people living in the same location.

"I don't think there's any choice but to vote yes on this," said Baldwin.

For Coun. Larry Robinson, the complex made sense in terms of the city's medium to high-density development plans.

"I heard and people were generally against an increase in density in that area. However, that area is as close to the centre of our medium-to high-density development as you can get," he said.

As for the concerns about traffic on the lane off of Foster, Robinson said he thinks changes are still going to have to come into effect.

"I believe the traffic in that lane is going to have to be one-way south because I believe it's getting too much as it is," he said.

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