Churches can get a new lease on life, just like people.
The planning committee of city council will hear Tuesday, April 15 an application by Jamie and Judy Turcotte to convert a surplus former church into a two-unit dwelling on 93 Edison Rd. in Falconbridge.
The applicants intend to add a garage with a second dwelling above, to be connected to the existing church building by a heated enclosed breezeway.
The subject property is located at the intersection of Edison Road. and Mott Street in Falconbridge. The parcel is large, being an acre in size with 345-feet of frontage on Edison Road.
The building itself is set back from the road and is screened by large trees.
Surplus churches have been in the news lately. There was controversy in Minnow Lake over a former church being turned into a water bottling plant. Though some residents disputed the notion of an industrial type operation being located in a residential area, city council approved the application last fall.
A Catholic church that closed in 2005 in Azilda was turned into a duplex by Norm Depatie. He received permission in April 2007 to re-zone the property from institutional to double residential. The vacant church was located in a neighbourhood with mostly single family homes.
“Projects like this are absolutely needed. This building was not in too bad shape. Rather than just leaving it dormant or a vacant lot, I'm going to fix it up. There's a need out in that area for more residential housing,” said Depatie.
Depatie's re-zoning received approval by council at that time.
This application, by the Turcottes, to also change the zoning from I (institutional) to R2 (double residential)is also without controversy.
“The city's Official Plan also encourages adaptive reuse projects intended to support a broader range of housing, subject to the rezoning process and a review of relevant criteria (site suitability, parking and land use compatibility). The proposal will also contribute to residential intensification targets,” states a report by city planner Mauro Manzon.
The lot is big enough to meet all parking and setback requirements. It is full serviced by municipal sewer and water and no impact on local traffic is forecast. Planning services recommended the rezoning application.
