A little horse-trading could get the city three affordable housing units in south-end Barrie.
Council gave final approval Monday night to rezone properties at 339 Veteran's Dr., 19 Montserrand St., and 341 Veteran's Lane for residential development there, but also gave Sean Mason Homes (Veteran’s Lane) Inc. a break on parking standards.
“Without this, the affordable piece may get lost, especially due to the cost of the underground parking spaces,” said Coun. Gary Harvey.
“What I’m hearing here is we are trying to preserve the affordable housing,” Coun. Sergio Morales said. “That’s a priority.”
The rezoning will allow development of a five-storey residential apartment building, with a maximum of 38 units, and 35 block or cluster townhouses fronting onto Veteran's Drive and Montserrand Street. This 2.2-acre property is located on the southeast corner of Montserrand Street and Veteran's Drive, east of Essa Road and north of Harvie Road.
Darren Vella of Innovative Planning Solutions, speaking for Sean Mason Homes, asked for two changes relating to the parking ratios.
“We are asking for a slight reduction to allow for some greater flexibility, with the opportunity to provide some more affordable housing units on the property,” he said.
Those changes, approved by council, will permit a minimum ratio of one space per unit for the proposed walk-up apartment building through the provision of underground structured parking spaces and three surface parking spaces, where 1.5 spaces per unit is required.
Also that a minimum ratio of 1.8 parking spaces per unit be provided, inclusive of 13 surface parking spaces in an underground structure parking lot, where a minimum ratio of 1.5 spaces per unit would be permitted.
Coun. Clare Riepma still had concerns, however.
“It may well be that we give them the relief on the parking, but never see these affordable units,” he said.
Mayor Jeff Lehman asked city staff for a memo before the Oct. 5 council meeting, when this matter is at the bylaw stage, about how the city can be assured there will be three affordable units constructed there.
Harvey said these changes will also afford the flexibility of having a couple of second suites in the end-unit townhomes, as two of them can have four parking spaces situated at each of them.
“We’re not going to hit our 10 per cent on this one, but at least it gives the ability of hitting some of our affordable housing units (targets) we’re desperately needing around the city,” Harvey said.
The target of Barrie’s affordable housing strategy is the construction of 600 units, a target aligned with the County of Simcoe’s 10-year affordable housing plan; it allocates the need for 840 units (of which 252 are geared to subsidy provided by the County leaving 588, rounded to 600 units) in Barrie during a 10-year term, to the year 2025.
