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Mapleward subdivision draft plan approved

Council gives go ahead on next step of 49-lot subdivision off West Arthur Street east of Mapleward Road despite concerns about expanding city's footprint.
Nadin
Developer Louis Nadin expressed frustration with Thunder Bay city council over the ongoing process to go ahead with a subdivision development on West Arthur Street just east of Mapleward Road. (Matt Vis, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY – A developer looking to establish a new subdivision off West Arthur Street is growing frustrated with continued procedural delays.

The proposed 49-lot addition, which would include three new streets with the homes serviced by municipal water and individual septic fields, on the north side of West Arthur Street east of Mapleward Road is the second stage of a subdivision from Nadin Contracting.

Council had previously given a preliminary approval to the development, despite administration recommending against. Council’s approval was appealed by the province because it was contrary to policy directing municipalities to not expand their footprint. The matter went to the Ontario Municipal Board, which ruled in favour of the project with required provisions.

After all that, hearing opposition from some members of council irked developer Louis Nadin.

“Quite frankly, I don’t know why I’m here (Monday) night reinventing the wheel,” Nadin said.

“Council had approved our request two years ago. This has just been going on for year after year and we’re spending thousands of dollars here and everything is being delayed. We have people wanting to go to work and put pipe in the ground.”

Council voted by a 9-3 margin to approve the draft plan of the subdivision with councillors Shelby Ch’ng, Andrew Foulds and Linda Rydholm in opposition. Rydholm represents the Neebing ward where the subdivision would be located.

A main point of opposition was increasing residential development further away from the urban core, though the report noted the possibility to one day link this subdivision with the Parkdale neighbourhood.

Ch’ng was concerned about the future maintenance costs that would result from the development.

“I don’t think we can sustain this type of development. In 20 years from now, this is going to be very expensive, be very burdensome,” Ch’ng said. “We can’t keep putting these things on, hoping industry will come. Granted, industry has come but it’s not at the pace we’re building out. It’s not making sound financial sense and I think we need to really sharpen our pencil a little bit more and not approve these things.”

Nadin described the development as the “one everybody wants to live in.”

“I have 49 lots available for sale. I don’t have enough. I have a waiting list of 60 people wanting to build there,” Nadin said.

“I don’t understand how you can say there’s no need for this kind of development in the city.”

Coun. Iain Angus argued the developer and purchasers of the homes will pay for 100 per cent of the capital infrastructure costs. While there will be future costs, the city will reap financial benefit before that happens.

“But that’s after we’ve gotten 30 years of revenue from that particular street,” Angus said. “You really are sort of building from the west to the east because there’s still land owned by the applicant that’s yet to be developed and that’s part and parcel with the OMB decision. We will see a larger and larger cluster of homes in this area which will create further efficiencies in terms of the deployment of equipment.”

The report from administration projects annual revenues of about $294,000 to the tax base if the subdivision is developed.

But under questioning from councillors, development and emergency services general manager Mark Smith said residential development does not pay for itself.

“The cost of delivering services to people who live in homes is greater than what they pay in taxes, generally speaking. We know this because it’s supported by industrial and commercial taxes,” Smith said.

“That discrepancy between what people pay and what it costs to deliver services is greater the lower the density, generally speaking.”

Council also approved a plan to convert the former Pinewood Court on James Street to a 26-unit apartment building and a zoning revision on a Bowlker Road property to allow for a single detached dwelling.



About the Author: Matt Vis

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