Rezoning for a planned 21-unit housing development on Dacey Road has been given the green light by City Council.
The property, located 90 metres southeast of the intersection of Queen Street East and Dacey Road, is presently vacant and spans 3.8 acres.
The applicants, David Peck and Tracey Buffone, sought two things in their application. First to reduce the required frontage from 20 metres to 17, and to permit both multiple attached dwellings and a single detached dwelling on the same property.
Twenty of the proposed units would be rented, single-story townhouses. The applicants intend to reside in the single, detached unit.
Public notices were mailed to neighboring properties within 120 metres of the of the subject property on January 26. The applicants, through Tulloch Engineering, hosted a neighbourhood information session Jan. 10 at Pinewood Public School. Twenty-six people attended.
Neighbors had a number of concerns, including density, traffic, privacy and drainage. Other concerns expressed by nearby residents included site contamination and garbage bin odour and the construction timeline. The development proposed is expected to be completed over three years.
Ward 1 Councillor Sandra Hollingsworth asked if the planned townhouses fell within the parameters of a low density development.
City Planning Director Peter Tonazzo said the proposed development would place the equivalent of five-and-a-half units on the property.
“I would suggest that in terms of townhouse development which for us is generally characterized as medium density, this is on the lower end, much lower than what we normally see for townhouse developments,” said Tonazzo.
Residents said some of the charm of the neighbourhood would be lost in a townhouse plan adding multi-detached units.
Tonazzo said many of Sault Ste. Marie’s neighborhoods reflect planning from a different time, where houses of similar types were clustered. Today, planning emphasizes mixed housing for residents at various stages of their lives.
Sault Mayor Matthew Shoemaker, thanked the neighboring residents for coming to council to share their views on the application.
Shoemaker said zoning rules that were likely in effect from 1950 to 2023 were a lot different than they are today. A Canada-wide housing shortage is forcing a different approach to zoning and new builds.
The City has committed in writing to meet a provincially-assigned target of 1,500 new housing units in the city by 2031.
“We’re making up for lost building time by densifying properties,” said Shoemaker. “It is the circumstances of the day and it’ll certainly require adjustments in neighborhoods as it will in this one, but I don’t see that there is value in denying the rezoning when it presents a fairly reasonable option for a reasonably-sized property.”
Shoemaker then called for a vote and the motion carried.
They actually approved something sensible and not frivolous for a change?
Must have been a mistake. They generally approve the most ridiculous things and spend what little money there is like drunken sailors, like the corrupt loser PM that they worship.