Rezoning to allow townhome development defeated by City Council – DiscoverMooseJaw.com
Rezoning of 476 Stadacona St. E. To allow the development of five homes was rejected by the city council last night.
The zoning bylaw amendment was rejected in the Committee of the Whole by a vote of four to three and never reached third reading.
A zoning bylaw amendment would have allowed the rezoning of 476 Stadacona St. E. From R1 – large density residential area to R2 – medium density residential area.
The application submitted by the developers expressed interest in building five two-storey townhouses on the site. The property has been vacant since a demolition permit was approved in 2021 for a former one-unit home.
being. Crystal Froese, upon further review, felt that the site on Stadacona Street East was not suitable for such a large development.
“I’m a big proponent of development but I think we also have to take into consideration the neighborhood as well. There are other areas in our city that I think this development would be great for,” she said.
Froese added that it opens up a larger discussion with the city looking to update its official community plan.
“I think this has opened up a dialogue for us to maybe consider what kind of design personalities we might want to look at that would help developers when they come to our city for continuity. Our downtown is a perfect example of trying to maintain historical continuity,” Froese said. .
At the July 10 City Council meeting, motions were passed to have the city administration prepare the bylaw amendment.
The bylaw was supposed to undergo three readings at the city council meeting on August 14. However, residents came to the council meeting to voice their concerns. Primarily, concerns were about parking, especially near Ecole St Margaret’s.
Jimmy Wallace owns property directly across the street from the vacant lot. He spoke to the city council last night about the issues the development might cause.
He said some council members indicated that if development was appropriate for the property, it should move forward with rezoning. He felt that this was not reason enough to approve the rezoning.
“You have to take into account the needs of those of us who own property there or need to be in that area,” Wallace said.
He also expressed concerns about parking and safety given its proximity to the school, property values and whether the existing waterworks infrastructure can handle the additional load.
“There is no need to impose a giant project on this small community, especially if it would detract from the daily function of this community,” he said.
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