A contingent of residents turned up at Ritchot council’s January 23 public meeting to speak to a multi-family housing project proposed for the property at 420 Main Street in St. Adolphe, the former location of the community’s personal care home. Ken Tallaire of the River Trail Development Corp is requesting that council allow for 14 1,200-square-foot units and 16 660-square-foot units geared toward people in the 55+ age bracket.
“The plan has two types of units that will be created,” Chris Goertzen, representative of Tallaire, told council. “Some larger… and some smaller units that will allow for the type of living and rental arrangements for the [seniors] that live in this area.”
The 30 townhouses, as proposed, will be single-storey units to accommodate seniors who don’t want to climb stairs. Each unit would have a nominal backyard, and some would have garages. An aesthetically pleasing model will be used which includes brickwork and other interior and exterior construction materials that provide a quality living space which blends well with the neighbourhood. Because they are rental units, all yard maintenance would be taken care of by the ownership company.
Councillor Mamchuk made Goertzen aware of a fountain on the property that has historical significance in the community and asked that, if possible, it be preserved.
Five residents stepped forward to show support for the proposal, some suggesting that they would be interested in renting such a unit. Two of these residents indicated that they would be in favour of adding a commercial aspect to the development to keep the proposal more in line with Main Street’s needs. Another suggested that it would be unfortunate to saddle the developer with commercial space he can’t lease, since, in this resident’s opinion, St. Adolphe’s proximity to Winnipeg means it will always remain a bedroom community.
The municipality’s former community economic development officer, Lesley Gaudry, submitted an email prior to the meeting. While she is in favour of such a residential development, she listed numerous objections to the proposal as planned. Those included a concern with the number of units being proposed for the size of the lot, which will reduce parking availability and greenspace, the lack of a common area for resident use for social activities, and the lack of commercial space which could provide for amenities that would benefit seniors, such as professional health-related services.
Council addressed some of the concerns shared. They suggested that there is currently enough senior space in the community available for use or rent and see it as imprudent to insist on more when these facilities are already underutilized. Councillor Pelletier suggested that there appears to be more than enough parking in the design, but creating wider parking stalls would be advisable. As for commercial, it was agreed that space could be found should the demand arise.
Council unanimously approved the proposal subject to compliance with a development agreement. The plan is also subject to the approval of a subdivision of the L-shaped lot.
