Coffee with the Mayor discusses local housing

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Town of Strathmore hosted another Coffee with the Mayor session, at which some of the community’s questions and concerns were addressed. 

Hosting this type of session gives the Strathmore community an opportunity to engage with their council in a more casual setting as opposed to appearing before them during a regular meeting.

Mayor Pat Fule said among several topics which were brought up and discussed, affordable housing was one of the biggest, and he spoke about what the town was doing to both address rising rent costs, and create more affordable housing.

“Our planning department has become quite well-known for its red tape reduction and being very efficient in getting permits and things the developers need to them in a timely manner so they can get on with their work,” he said. “We are hoping that we can attract more developers and builders for multi-unit housing (and) for rentals.”

Fule added the most obvious way to address the housing issue is to create more housing, and the town has been working on its policies in order to make Strathmore more attractive for development.

Policy changes include rezoning in the downtown area, which allows for more multi-unit housing in downtown Strathmore. In addition to the creation of affordable housing, having centrally available lodgings can also benefit the local economy. 

“That will also help support the downtown businesses. One of the ways you rejuvenate or support a downtown area for a small town is that you have more people living in the downtown area, and that is going to support the retail that is there,” he said.

Also referenced was a potential new residential complex on Centennial Ave. This project was initially defeated in council when it was discussed in March, but the developers are returning to council in July for another meeting. 

Fule said he is optimistic that council and the developers can come to an agreement, however, large builds such as an apartment or townhouse complex can occupy lengthy construction times before units are able to be lived in. 

For the time being, Fule is hoping to introduce garden and garage suites as a quicker way of introducing affordable lodgings to Strathmore. He explained garden suites are useful both for offering living options, but also serve financial benefits for those who rent them out. 

The next planned Coffee with the Mayor is scheduled to take place Nov. 7.