St. Marys council briefs
A small, single-storey townhouse development proposed for 347 James St. South in St. Marys received a green light from council this week.
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James Street townhouse development approved
A small, single-storey townhouse development proposed for 347 James St. South in St. Marys received a green light from council this week.
The three-unit project pitched by BDS Construction near the Pyramid Recreation Centre required zoning bylaw amendments unanimously approved by council Tuesday following a public meeting that included the property owner’s planning consultant, Caroline Baker.
One neighbour submitted a request for a privacy fence that Baker said the builder will accommodate. No other public comments about the project were submitted.
The town’s planning department supported the project.
“The proposed intensification development represents a more efficient form of development than single detached dwellings, contributes to the provision of a range of housing forms, and utilizes existing infrastructure such as roads, and water and sanitary services,” planner Mark Stone said in his report.
The three townhouse units will be rentals starting at $1,500 per month, according to the report. One of the units will fully meet provincial accessibility standards, Baker added, and all three units have been designed without stairs.
Councillors applauded the project’s focus on accessibility and intensification, but some were disappointed the units won’t be more affordable.
“I like this project … but I have to comment about the affordability aspect, the attainability aspect,” Coun. Marg Luna said. “It’s not there and it’s disappointing.”
The townhouses’ amenities and a “significant” increase in building costs due to the pandemic, specifically lumber, made it difficult for the property owner to meet an affordable rent benchmark set by the province at $1,351 for a two-bedroom unit, Baker said. “Certainly the owner is committed to getting as close as possible.”
Town agrees to host air-monitoring station from St. Marys Cement
Councillors agreed on Tuesday to allow St. Marys Cement to set up an air-monitoring station on town-owned land near the water works facility on St. George Street North.
The monitoring station, in combination with others throughout town, provides the cement plant with data about emissions from its stack, council heard.
“They’re trying to chase air patterns but also complaints,” Mayor Al Strathdee added. “I believe there’s been stations in different locations and they’re trying to cover as many quadrants as possible.”
The agreement to host one of the plant’s stations on St. George Street will last one year and will not have a financial impact on the town.
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame postpones 2020 inductions a second time
Coun. Rob Edney, council’s representative on the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s board of directors, said Tuesday that 2020 inductees will be honoured next summer.
“We feel it’s important to honour them property in person and not over a screen,” he said.
Two potential dates later this year were considered by ultimately scrapped due to the unknown impact of the pandemic, Edney added.
The 2020 class includes Justin Morneau, Duane Ward, John Olerud and Jacques Doucet.
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