Four apartment buildings, new subdivision approved near Pinewood Public School (3 photos)

City Council has approved zoning changes clearing the way for as many as four three-storey apartment buildings and up to 51 multiple attached dwellings on a long, narrow lot at 3876 Queen Street East.

The apartment buildings on the northern part of the lot near White Pines Collegiate and Vocational School would contain 60 dwelling units.

The multiple attached dwellings would be on the southern portion of the property near Queen Street and Pinewood Public School.

The new subdivision will have 51 metres frontage along Queen and extends back 514 metres.

The northern part of the property has been flagged as having significant archeological potential and developer Paul Guindon (1890713 Ontario Inc.) will be required to conduct additional archeological assessment work before any soil disturbance or development is allowed.

"The applicant is seeking some flexibility in determining the overall dwelling unit mix within this development," Peter Tonazzo, senior city planner, said in a written report.

"The area surrounding the subject property is mixed, with a number of apartment buildings to the north, a 60-unit townhouse development to the west, and predominantly single detached residential to the southwest, south and east," Tonazzo said.

Guindon is proposing to include a one-acre neighbourhood park on the property that would eventually be deeded to the City of Sault Ste. Marie.

He'll be required to build a continuous sidewalk along the west side of Sinclair Drive to Queen Street East.

A pedestrian crosswalk will link the new subdivision with White Pines school and Terry Fox Place.

A dry pond for stormwater retention will be placed along the eastern Queen Street frontage.

Some concern was expressed that children use that part of the property to get to and from Pinewood Public School, but Tonazzo said the pond will be dry most of the time and dry ponds are designed to empty within 48 hours.

Guindon has indicated he doesn't expect to immediately start work on three or four apartment buildings.

He wishes to continue developing a previously approved subdivision with frontage on Dacey Road and Sinclair Drive, then develop the area behind White Pines through to Queen Street.

Guindon has already built and filled 14 housing units there and has a long list of others looking for similar dwellings, councillors were told.

Ward 3 councillor Matthew Shoemaker wasn't sure if new parks should be added to the city's inventory of parkland if existing parks aren't being used.

Shoemaker suggested that a cash donation might be considered in lieu of new parkland, with money invested in existing parks.

Don McConnell. the city's director of planning and enterprise services, commented that the nearest park is at Parkland Public School and with a lot of people living in the neighbourhood, concerns have been expressed in the past about a lack of parks in the area. 

The Skyline Real Estate Holdings Inc., owner of Terry Fox Place, expressed opposition to the project, indicating the Sault is currently struggling with high rental vacancy rates.

But McConnell said the city isn't struggling.

The most recent Central Mortgage and Housing Corp. survey showed a local vacancy rate of 3.1 per cent, which McConnell described as being toward the low end of a healthy housing market.

The comparable national vacancy rate is 3.7 per cent, McConnell told councillors.

Guindon must now obtain an agreement with the PUC covering street lighting, electrical and water servicing and fire protection.

The project will also require a subdivision agreement with the City of Sault Ste. Marie.