Duane Hicks
Have your say.
A public meeting to garner input on the proposed Erin Crescent subdivision is slated for Thursday, July 27 at 7 p.m. at the Civic Centre.
As reported late last month, the town is eyeing the property in the east end of town to develop into 27 single-dwelling and multi-residential lots.
But before making a final decision, it is looking to citizens to get in their two cents.
“We want input from the public,” said Chief Building Official and municipal planner Tyson Dennis.
“We’ve looked at a few other areas of town,” he noted. “This [Erin Crescent] is going to be the best bang for your buck, I guess you could say, because a subdivision plan is already complete.
“So it’s to inform people of that.”
The meeting also is a chance to gauge interest in lots at Erin Crescent, as well as to answer questions such as how much the lots will cost and how soon they might be available.
“Huffman Court’s got one lot left so that’s the big push,” explained Dennis, noting “there’s a lot happening development-wise” in Fort Frances.
“We’ve had people calling in, asking about larger-sized lots,” he said.
“The one that’s left at Huffman Court is average, so they’re asking, ‘Where else can we buy?'”
The new subdivision will provide home builders with different-sized lots and allow for “outside the box” thinking, Dennis noted.
“If somebody wants to get into some duplexes, or buy four or five lots and get into a six-plex, it’s a great spot for a retirement home–one level with a garage for each unit,” he suggested.
The town also will provide information at the meeting as to how it determines lot prices and how new residential properties enhance the tax base so other taxes don’t have to go up.
Over the years, the public has had differing views on developments. For example, some people were reluctant about the Riverwalk Condominiums before and just after they were built in the early 2000s.
But time has shown it was a correct step to expand the municipal tax base, Dennis said.
Each one of those 31 condos means $4,000 a year in taxes for the town–tax dollars that are used to keep infrastructure running and community services going, he noted.
Dennis stressed council makes the final decision about whether to go ahead with a new subdivision.
But if it does, Erin Crescent is “going to be the spot.”
“That’s why we’re out front with this,” he remarked.
“To show people this is what’s available and to find out if anybody’s interested.”
