The latest plan for the old St. Bernadette Elementary Catholic School involves renovating the existing structure to house 20 residential dwellings.
Three rows of housing to the building’s east would create an additional 54 residential units.
Such is the proposal the planning committee of city council is slated to vote on during their Oct. 7 meeting.
The Devla Properties Inc. project would begin with the school’s renovation to accommodate 20 residential units and proceed with the additional 54 units once municipal sanitary sewer services are upgraded to accommodate the development.
The property’s 1.82-hectare include 76.16 metres of frontage along the east side of Auger Avenue and is bordered by single-family households whose back yards back up onto the property along its north (Hawthorne Drive) and south (Courtland Drive).
Parkland borders the property to the east, followed by Holy Trinity Catholic Elementary School.
Once fully realized, the 74-unit development is estimated to bring in approximately $320,000 in tax revenue.
St. Bernadette Catholic Elementary School closed in 2015, when its operations shifted to the newly built neighbouring Holy Trinity.
Dalron Construction purchased the property and proposed demolishing the old school to replace it with 38 townhouses. The property was rezoned to accommodate the project in 2018.
The land subsequently changed hands, which brings it to the 74-unit proposal that city council members will vote on next week, and which city senior planner Wendy Kaufman has recommended they approve.
The planning committee agenda includes three letters from area residents who express concerns regarding the proposed development.
“To suggest a development of three buildings with 74 units is simply outrageous and quite reckless,” area resident Robert Green wrote in a letter to the city, suggesting that a single building with 10-25 units should be approved instead.
His concerns centred around traffic impacts and environmental concerns regarding the loss of bush leading up to Holy Trinity Catholic Elementary School, which has wildlife and birch trees.
Area resident Jessica Guillot expressed concern regarding the added vehicular, pedestrian and cycle traffic the development might bring and requested additional traffic-calming measures.
Residents Kelly and Alex Lavoie oppose the development due to such things as traffic concerns, noise and privacy, and impacts to property value.
In a municipal report by Kaufman, it’s noted, “Traffic is not expected to be impacted by this proposal,” and that the subject property “is an appropriate location for the proposed multiple dwellings.”
The development’s proposed density is approximately 41 units per hectare, which is below the threshold for medium-density developments (at least 90 units per hectare). The three rows of housing units would be two storeys in height, which Kaufman notes are compatible with the surrounding neighbourhood.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
