Council OKs multi-phase development

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This article was published 14/10/2010 (5713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The big wheels have been set into motion on a seven-phase, multi-year plan to turn a large chunk of city-owned land near Brandon’s North Hill into a mix of residential, commercial, educational and recreational developments.

During a special meeting yesterday afternoon, city council approved a phased development framework for the approximately 118 acres of barren land at First Street North and Veterans Way.

Within the plan, 30 per cent of the developable land would be used for housing.

Of that, 20 per cent is suggested to be geared toward the city’s growing affordable housing needs.

A mix of housing, ranging from single family detached units to rowhouses to low-rise and walk-up apartments, is being suggested.

"I think it’s very healthy if we have affordable housing components throughout the city," Mayor Dave Burgess said of the plan, which also proposes that each type of housing be mixed throughout each phase of the development.

In addition to such mixed residential neighbourhoods, the plan also provides space for a new school development, while the most southerly portion of the site housed a former landfill and, as such, is proposed to remain as greenspace to ensure that methane gases are not disturbed.

It’s that southern parcel of land that Burgess believes will be perfect to expand the city’s soccer parks.

"It would be great for the (existing) park, being able to just continue to flow with any parking and with maintenance because it would be adjoining to the other existing parks," he said.

Community gardens, biking and walking paths and an expanded city transit route are also proposed within the plan, while the area’s drainage would be addressed through the use of a man-made "lake" that would flow into the Assiniboine River.

It’s estimated the development plan — which would be fully implemented over a 14-year timeline — could cost the city in excess of $18 million, though Burgess noted it would be done in bite-sized pieces for which the city would see a return on investment.

"This is going to be something that we put in place with the intention of getting the money back from the developers themselves," he said, adding components of the development could include land donation to not-for-profit groups.

Council unanimously supported moving the plan forward with little debate yesterday, though councillors Don Jessiman (Green Acres) and Ken Fitzpatrick (Linden Lanes) were not present at the noon-hour meeting.

"I think it’s a form that we can work with as a city and meet a lot of objectives that we’ve identified as critical to housing development over the next decade or so," Coun. Errol Black (Riverview) stated in moving and supporting the motion.

Development on the site, however, is still at least one year away, as the city must first put together a comprehensive marketing plan for the land, taking into consideration all the groups that are currently working on their own housing initiatives.

"What we want to do is tie in private development along with Habitat (For Humanity), the Friendship Centre, veterans’ groups and seniors groups who want to do things on their own and secure funds on their own," explains the city’s general manager of development services, Ted Snure. "How do we make this happen effectively and not wind up with just clumps of development here and there?"

A marketing plan could be before council for debate early next year, Snure suggested, with the start of development possible in the fall of 2011.