Image: File photo, Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / File photo - A former boarded up home at 9543 Williams Street has since been demolished and could be converted into a low rise apartment complex, along with two parcels of land to the north of it. 
Proposed housing development

Two formerly dilapidated homes in Chilliwack could be converted into low rise apartments

Aug 19, 2025 | 7:21 AM

CHILLIWACK — A Surrey-based development company’s application to have two Williams Street properties rezoned where a pair of formerly dilapidated homes once sat is coming back to Chilliwack City Council today.

According to a staff report in April 2025 prepared by city planner Sean Roufosse, Common Ground Consulting of Surrey had asked Chilliwack councillors to approve a rezoning application for properties located at 9543, 9557 and 9571 Williams Street, in order to facilitate a future apartment development. The applicant wants to rezone the three properties from an R1-A (urban residential) zone to an R5 (low rise apartment) zone.

The now-demolished homes are located at 9543 and 9557 Williams Street, just north of Central Pentecostal Assembly. They had generated multiple complaints to the City of Chilliwack due to their appearance, accumulation of garbage and suspicious activity.

Image: File photo, Mike Vanden Bosch / File photo, accumulated garbage in the back of 9543 Williams Street from June 2024. The home has since been demolished.

Chilliwack councillors reviewed the rezoning request at their meeting on April 22, 2025 but referred the application back to city staff in order to address all outstanding bylaw infractions, including fines, and demolition of the existing single detached dwellings prior to the application being considered by council. The applicant was asked by staff to resolve all outstanding bylaw complaints, pay all outstanding bylaw fines, demolish the two vacant dwellings at 9543 and 9557 Williams Street, clean and secure the vacant properties through the use of temporary construction fencing and implement a property maintenance plan.

The applicant has since paid all outstanding fines, and all outstanding bylaw complaints have been resolved, prompting the applicant to again ask that the rezoning application be brought before councillors for their review.

The two properties at 9543 and 9557 Williams Street are now vacant, while the property at 9571 Williams Street is tenanted.

Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / A view this week of the two vacant properties at 9543 and 9557 Williams Street in Chilliwack.

There was a fire in June 2024 at the 9543 Williams Street home. Thirty firefighters from four halls were called to the home and discovered flames coming from the front windows of the boarded-up residential structure.

Chilliwack councillors will be asked to give first, second and third reading to the application at their meeting today, August 19 at 2 p.m.