Rezoning approved for Mt. Brydges affordable housing initiative
Article content
A new affordable housing initiative could be in Mt. Brydges’ future.
After receiving feedback from the community about a proposed affordable housing building near the Tri-Township Arena, councillors passed a zoning bylaw amendment during their Aug. 3 meeting which rezones the land from an institutional zone to a high-density residential zone, opening the way for the project to continue.
The proposed three-storey apartment building would include 20 one-bedroom units, 11 two-bedroom units, and six bachelor units. Also included are a lobby, laundry room, internal garbage and recycling room, mailboxes and common amenity area for residents.
The proposed site for the building, which currently serves as an entryway to the arena from Adelaide Road, was chosen after the initially proposed location at Cenotaph Park was turned down, and senior land use planner Tim Williams said the location’s access to municipal services was crucial in its selection.
“Municipal services are critical to this particular,” said Williams. “This could not occur on septic or well. The density is to a level it wouldn’t work.”
Funding for the proposed project would come from a federal grant through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Rapid Housing Initiative, which includes $1 billion in funding to address affordable housing needs.
The proposed project has been a topic of spirited discussion over recent months, drawing local attention due to questions about the intent for the property’s use when it was donated to the municipality, though Williams wrote in his report to council that such an agreement is no longer in effect.
Other concerns raised by the public have included the community losing the land’s recreational value, increasing the population of Mt. Brydges, losing an entrance to the Tri-Township Arena, and inappropriately exceeding the area’s current density.
“Mt. Brydges has a number of single-family homes, but we can’t say that that’s the only aspect of the character,” said Williams. “We have to look at it just as the Strathroy Official Plan has, by viewing it in a way that density and built form should complement the village character, and not necessarily all be the same single-detached homes.”
“What we are seeing here is an attempt to have this built form match up and address what exists on Adelaide Road.”
Coun. Steve Pelkman, who highlighted his experience in planning parking for large events, spoke about how the removal of the Adelaide Road entrance to the arena can aid larger events due to simplifying traffic control in and out of the arena’s parking lot, and offered his support to the proposed project.
“I think that in the long run, the only way to keep rents affordable is to increase the number of units that are available to rent,” said Pelkman. “This would be a big shot in the arm in the Mt. Brydges area to have a lot more rental units than what currently exists.”
In response to a question from Coun. Sandi Hipple, who echoed Pelkman’s comments in support of the project, about whether the units could be aimed at Strathroy-Caradoc residents, CAO Fred Tranquilli said it wouldn’t be possible for the Caradoc Housing Corporation to favour potential tenants based on their hometown.
“It’s not possible to screen out those who some might feel are not worthy of accessing these units for one reason or another,” said Tranquilli. “Whether they live in Mt. Brydges, Strathroy-Caradoc, Lucan or London, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is funding affordable housing because there’s a crisis not just in Mt. Brydges, but across the country.”
“We would not be able to condition renting units in this spot to those whose current addresses are from a certain location. That would not, in my mind, be permitted, regardless of where the development is.”
Coun. John Brennan also spoke in favour of providing a new option for housing in the community.
“This type of housing is necessary for Mt. Brydges, so that people who have lived there all their lives, or people who wish to live there who were raised there have an option,” said Brennan. “Right now, it seems like those options are extremely limited.”
Though Coun. Neil Flegel didn’t oppose the motion to move forward with the zoning bylaw changes, he did share his concerns about the project, as well as the concerns which have been shared with him by residents. He said he’d have liked to have seen further discussions about the project, but understood the timeline concerns due to funding stream deadlines.
“To me, it is a challenging subject,” said Flegel. “I have given a lot of thought to the subject matter, obviously, from an affordable housing standpoint, it’s a need across our country, and we all know that.”
“While there may be some that argue it’s ‘NIMBYism’ or those types of things, some of the concerns don’t fit into that definition,” he continued. “The majority who have commented have shared their understanding of the need for attainable housing in the broader community, but the opinions do slant heavily towards opposition with respect to the locations presented here.”
Coun. Marie Baker said though the proposed location isn’t perfect, she’s satisfied with the work that municipal staff has done to prepare the application.
“There are lots of needs for housing of this nature,” said Baker. “That this is a good use for this particular property.
Following discussions and comments from councillors, Mayor Joanne Vanderheyden offered her support for the project.
“I understand the need, and the need right now is to provide access to a variety of housing,” said Vanderheyden. “If you have opportunity for some kind of affordable and adequate housing, it produces better outcomes for families and individuals. It leads to education, it leads to employment, it leads to health. There’s just multiple effects of having a safe and affordable home.”
“There’s so many people right now that are in that cycle of trying to find attainable and affordable housing,” she continued. “Collectively, we can make a positive change by putting a solution in place, and the solution, to me, is this affordable housing.”
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.