Duane Hicks
The site of the former Huffman School property on Williams Avenue will become a residential subdivision after the majority of council voted in favour of amending the zoning bylaw at Monday night’s meeting.
Council voted 6-1 in favour of amending Zoning By-Law 8/98, effectively changing the zoning and permitted uses on the property from institutional to residential (R2).
The town will create a 16-lot residential subdivision, with six fronting Williams Avenue and an additional 10 on a proposed cul-de-sac.
Coun. Ken Perry voted against the re-zoning. He felt the site-specific provision for a minimum ground floor area of 1,500 sq. ft. for a single-storey dwelling, and 1,250 sq. ft. for a two- or more storey dwelling, was too restrictive and would dissuade some people from purchasing lots to build on.
Looking at a list of Ontario municipalities, Coun. Perry noted some of them specified a minimum footprint of anywhere from 1,000 sq. ft. down to 500 sq. ft.
“We’re really pushing people out of the market here,” he warned.
Coun. Paul Ryan responded that the minimum footprints indicated by the other municipalities surely must be for lots smaller than the ones the town will be selling in the subdivision.
He noted the majority of lots the town is proposing are 75 feet wide by 120 feet deep, adding he’s been to Fort McMurray, Alta., for instance, where he’d be surprised if the lots there are 30 feet wide.
Coun. Perry didn’t completely disagree with Coun. Ryan, noting if the minimum footprint is applied to the four larger lots in the new subdivision—two of which are 1,103 sq. metres and two of which are 1,485 sq. metres—that’s fine as people are going to build big houses on those lots anyway.
But to have the same restriction on the remaining dozen, smaller lots might put off potential buyers, he added (the 12 smaller lots are about 836 sq. metres in size).
“As soon as we start putting these lots up for sale, whatever the price may be, you’re going to have some people shying away because of the price, some people shying away because the four big lots are already gone,” noted Coun. Perry.
He added there is an economic downturn and some people that normally would go in for these lots won’t want to sell their current houses for a “fire sale” just to build a new home.
A public meeting regarding the proposed re-zoning was held Nov. 26, at which time local resident Bob Armit and Robert Schulz, representing both himself as chair of Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (S.A.L.T.) and Erma Armit, chair of the Assisted Living Action Group (A.L.A.G.), asked council to hold off on the decision until the location for an assisted living facility in Rainy River District is determined.
The Armits said yesterday that council’s choice not to delay its decision was “unfortunate.”
“We’ll have to think about it and see where we go from here,” said Bob Armit.
Erma Armit noted any decisions about a future site for an assisted living facility are going to be made by the community.
In January, A.L.A.G. is expected to present community stakeholders with an action plan based on feedback from strategic planning workshops, the “Aging at Home Survey for Older Adults,” ongoing research, and community-based discussions.
At that time, they will present the various property options that have been brought to their attention, and assess their respective qualities in order to obtain community direction.
“We’ll see where that goes,” she remarked.
The new subdivision is expected to meet a need for housing lots, and the re-zoning meets all the proper requirements.
In a written report received by council, municipal planner Faye Flatt summarized the considerations and implications of the re-zoning and comments to be considered, and recommended the subject land be re-zoned with the aforementioned site specific provision.
“The initiative by council to take this step toward satisfying an identified need for residential lots in the municipality is anticipated to act as an attractant to draw residents to the municipality rather than as a deterrent,” Flatt wrote.
“It has been expressed that the creation of the subdivision is in response to an identified need and not as a revenue-generating exercise.”
Flatt noted the proposal council considered conforms to both the existing Official Plan and the Official Plan awaiting ministry approval; is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement direction in regards to residential intensification and redevelopment within an existing built-up area; and is a step toward satisfying a need for residential lots for the town.
The old school is slated for demolition early next year, after which time the lots will be prepared for sale.
There has been 23 expressions of interest in the purchase of the future lots, both from individuals inside and out of the community.
