12-unit building approved downtown

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Despite pushbacks from neighbouring landowners, town council supported an epoch-making decision in approving a development permit that would conceivably result in greater downtown density and new businesses to Strathmore’s core – the first of many future changes facing residents.
The construction of a 12-unit apartment building at 604 and 606 Lakeside Boulevard is forging full steam ahead, after the issue was brought back to council with further details and discussion of parking, increased traffic, variances greater than 25 per cent, and reviving the downtown area.
After the May 20 regular council meeting, administration received direction to inform more residents of the proposed development and provide additional time to allow residents to respond. According to Werner Fischer, director of planning and development for the town, a second letter was sent to 33 landowners producing another five letters, four of which were in opposition to the apartment building.
While some residents expressed concerns of the project not keeping with the tenor of the neighbourhood, council was challenged to make a decision – the first of its kind – to steer Strathmore forward in a prosperous direction.
“I think we need to increase the town density to keep it viable, and while I understand that that can be a challenge for people in the community, I have seen it work in my own neighbourhood,” said Councillor Denise Peterson, who’s lived in downtown Strathmore for three decades.
“[We] watched the decimation of the downtown over the years as it moved farther and farther east … for us that was far more disturbing than having density come into our neighbourhood. As density has come in over the last decades, we’ve also seen accompanying development. We’ve seen incremental improvements.”
Councillor Peterson added that a larger downtown population will increase chances of attracting amenities and grocery stores back into the area and contribute to a more desirable area.
The proposed four-storey apartment building will provide 13 off-street parking stalls, stand 13.25 meters tall at its highest point, and is supported by the Downtown Overlay District. According to the Land Use bylaw, the development meets the 12 parking-stall requirement and remains under the 14-meter height allowance as set out in the R3 District, which the lots were rezoned as in 1995.
“Seeing that increased residents is the only way to save downtown and that retail will typically follow this, I think the struggles that we’re facing is that this is the first of its kind in this area,” said Councillor Pat Fule, who attended a Downtown Revitalization conference.
“I agree that there are going to be problems … at some point we have to increase density beyond what we’ve been doing. I understand that people are upset and there is some worry about this, but this is the first of other things that are coming, and it’s one of those things that may have to be done.”
In addition to circulating further correspondence to residents, town council also requested information regarding the condition, cost, and options of the back alley –parallel to Lakeside Boulevard.
With a relatively low cost of $16,000 to $20,000 for improving the north-south portion of the lane situated behind the site, and $34,000 to $40,000 for upgrades along the entire block through the east-west portion, the developer agreed to pay nearly double his share for upgrading the town-owned road. This would include the portion of the lane along properties 602, 604, and 606.
However, it was the issue of parking that raised red flags for Councillor Brad Walls. With a requirement of only one parking stall per dwelling, one visitor off-street parking stall, and some on-street parking, Walls was unable to justify approving the development permit when he reasoned many households require both members to be working and driving a vehicle.
“I will not be supporting this because I do not believe that one parking stall is adequate for a dwelling, even though the bylaw states that,” he said. “I look at my little complex, there’s four houses there, and there’s 12 vehicles. To me one parking stall is simply not sufficient even with street parking.”
Although Councillor Walls voted in opposition of the motion to approve the development with conditions as were outlined in the draft development permit, the rest of council voted for the motion. The permit sought leniency for setbacks to the front yard, side property lines, site width and area, and allowable density.
According to Fischer, such decisions are necessary to ensure downtown Strathmore will be viable once again.
“I think we have very clear direction from the Municipal Development Plan that we want to encourage and promote re-development in the downtown,” said Fischer. “Everything tends to be a bit of a compromise and sometimes you never satisfy anybody in the process of doing it.”
The matter is subject to appeal, and those wishing to appeal can submit their reasons to the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board.