Opposition to a proposed $3-million supportive modular housing project in Barrie could be fuelled by a process that’s not clearly understood, says Coun. Keenan Aylwin.
Neighbours of the Vespra Street site have questioned the location, the housing’s built-form, environmental impacts, the cost to taxpayers, including operating costs, the effect on property values in the area and the lack of consultation, among other concerns.
Aylwin, who represents this area of the city on council, said if those questions have not been answered now, they will be as the process moves along.
“There seems to be some misunderstanding about the process moving forward on this project,” he said, noting council unanimously supported a motion to have city staff work with stakeholders, such as the County of Simcoe, to evaluate the housing needs in the community in order to craft a request-for-proposals process.
“This process will come back to council for discussion and approval before a call for proposals is issued,” Aylwin added. “This means that any proposal would still need to go through a vetting process and also a public engagement process.”
The city will hold a neighbourhood meeting on whatever proposal is selected to involve people in the process, just like any proposed development.
“This will be a great opportunity to inform people, but also receive feedback to improve the overall implementation of any project on the site,” he said. “I hear the concerns about consultation which is exactly why we will be embarking on a consultation process. This is very early in the process and there are still many steps to be taken.”
Ann-Marie Quinn lives on Sanford Street, close to the Vespra Street site, and is behind an online petition opposing the project. She said it’s not a matter of misunderstanding the process.
Residents wanted to know about the project, for example, before it came to Barrie councillors Jan. 19-20 during budget talks as an amendment to the city's capital plan.
“I just want to know why we were not included in this,” Quinn said, “because the city proceeded in doing what they’re doing and it was done without our input or knowledge.”
She also said the city had not done due diligence — investigating or reviewing all the facts of this matter — before going ahead with it.
“They committed $3 million to something that they have just no idea what the costs are going to entail,” Quinn said.
“In this particular case, the citizens of this area were not consulted about this project that was being proposed for this area,” she said. “Our feedback will be sought only after the decision is finalized for the project to go ahead. A proper democratic process has not been followed, and we should have been included in the process from the very outset. There is no misunderstanding.”
Quinn notes the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) — which replaced the Ontario Municipal Board — position is that "typically, municipal councils attempt to deal with concerns or disputes before making decisions on planning matters."
Aylwin said the project is worthwhile despite the questions surrounding it.
“This is housing for people. Period. Just like the housing that already exists in the neighbourhood and that exists all over our city,” he said. “I firmly believe that we can’t solve issues in our community if we have an us-versus-them mentality.
“Everyone deserves a place to call home and a chance to live a life of dignity. I firmly believe that once people have a chance to see what actually may be proposed here, there will be support in the community. I want to have an open dialogue and a conversation based on the facts,” said Aylwin, encouraging anyone with questions or concerns to get in touch with him by phone or email.
The Ward 2 councillor also said there’s a misconception that Vespra Street will be closed, but that’s not part of the proposal.
There have also been concerns about the type of housing being built — modular — and whether it’s allowed under the zoning, which is institutional.
But Andrea Miller, the city’s general manager of infrastructure and growth management, said modular homes are not an issue.
“The modular piece of it, the building construction, is neither here nor there when it comes to zoning,” she said. “It’s whether it’s a (social service) facility versus straight residential. If the use of the property is straight residential, then it would be required to be rezoned, because the current zoning (institutional) does not allow that.”
But what council is proposing at this point, Miller said, is a social service facility and under Barrie’s zoning bylaw that is allowed on land zoned institutional.
A social services facility, as defined in the bylaw, provides social services support which may include counselling, recreational facilities, education and training, places of assembly, temporary lodging, serving meals and offering daycare. The Ontario government defines supportive housing as a combination of housing assistance and supports that enable people to live as independently as possible in their community.
Exactly what this project will end up being has not been determined.
“We don’t know yet because we have not completed that process,” Miller said.
On Jan. 25, city council gave final approval to add $3 million to its 2021 budget for a supportive, modular housing project on Vespra Street. This support comes with a number of conditions for this development — building one-person, 450- to 500-square-foot, stackable housing units, each costing about $195,000, at the former Barrie fire hall site.
The $3-million cost, including a $500,000 estimate for soil remediation (capped at $750,000), will be funded from debt, with final amounts to be determined through request-for-proposals planning and approval of a building proposal, with the annual debt servicing costs to be paid from the reinvestment reserve and that money be leveraged to access other funding opportunities.
After consulting with the County of Simcoe and social agencies dealing with homelessness, and before issuing the request for proposal, community and corporate services general manager Dawn McAlpine will report back to Barrie councillors on the target residents for the project, subsidy sources, key project parameters and how the city’s funding can be leveraged to access other funding opportunities.
City staff will then issue a call for proposals for a service provider to construct and manage the project, and operate the housing units.
Staff will also hold a neighbourhood meeting with the successful proponent and area residents to get feedback to help the overall implementation of the project.
