Council unswayed by objection to 12-unit block

Pushback against a proposed 12-unit apartment block on 10th Street failed to convince Brandon City Council that the project would jeopardize a supportive housing facility next door. Read this article for free: Already have an account? As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed. Now, more than ever, we need your support.

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Pushback against a proposed 12-unit apartment block on 10th Street failed to convince Brandon City Council that the project would jeopardize a supportive housing facility next door. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Pushback against a proposed 12-unit apartment block on 10th Street failed to convince Brandon City Council that the project would jeopardize a supportive housing facility next door. Brandon resident Brian Dornn appeared at a public hearing Tuesday to advocate for Franny’s Place, which houses women fleeing abuse or struggling with homelessness or addiction.

Dornn told council he fears that the supportive housing facility on 10th Street will be ostracized if a new residential development is built right next door. Across the city, residents commonly complain about supportive housing because they feel uncomfortable living near homes where people with addictions live, Dornn told council. A vacant lot and a detached dwelling on 10th Street would be replaced by a three-storey, 12-unit apartment building under a development proposal by the property owner.

(Connor McDowell/The Brandon Sun) “If we took this house and we put it right in the middle of a residential neighbourhood ...

and we said, ‘We want to house people with addictions in this house, (people) that could be actively using,’ would we get pushback? You bet we would,” he told council. “I don’t want to lose this house by putting ourselves in a position where we are too close to high-density (housing) without a buffer.” To buffer the two properties, Dornn argued that there ought to be businesses on the ground floor of the new development.

On behalf of the property owner, development company Concept Homes is proposing to erect a three-storey residential building at 332 and 338 10th St. Brandon regulations require that 50 per cent or more of the ground floor is dedicated to businesses, but the company has applied for a conditional-use permit to waive that regulation and fill the ground floor with housing units. Dornn objected to the move, saying if there’s no degree of separation between the properties, future neighbours may start to complain about Franny’s Place and force it to close.

“If you put it in a residential community, you tend to have a lot more kick-back because that’s their home. It just tends to be that way,” said Dornn. “When you get enough pushback from the community, they don’t want to feel like the community doesn’t want them.

And it gets pushed out, is what happens.” But the argument did not persuade council. Several councillors and Mayor Jeff Fawcett told Dornn they recognized his concerns but believe the situation would be different because future neighbours would know they are moving in beside a supportive housing facility.

They added the facility is run well, so there should be no conflicts with neighbours. Coun. Shaun Cameron (Ward 4) said he lives near the proposed development property.

He said transparency would be key in preventing issues, and there are other issues created by leaving the land vacant as it is today. “I think if you have residents that are committed to living there and they go in eyes-wide-open to what that neighbourhood can be, I think there is a lot more benefit and upside to it,” said Cameron. “I understand wholeheartedly the feedback brought here, but I think, when we’re looking at a bigger plan for the city, there’s benefit to this.

” The property at 332 10th St. currently contains a detached dwelling, whereas the property at 338 10th St. remains vacant.

If left alone, the vacant property could become a problem for the city, such as a fire risk, Cameron noted. The proposed project, on the other hand, would be a 12-unit residential building with a parking lot. Coun.

Kris Desjarlais (Ward 2) also spoke in favour of the project. “If they’re run well, supportive housing units can be positioned anywhere in our community,” said Desjarlais. “I think this is an excellent spot for those seven individuals that are housed in that supportive housing unit.

I also think this is a good spot for (the residential development), and we need more housing in our community. I’m optimistic.” Fawcett agreed, saying Franny’s Place is exceptionally well run.

Defending the proposal, Joel Cardinal-Schultz of Concept Homes provided reasons why the company is applying to fill the ground level with housing units rather than commercial units. He said residential space is much more in demand today than commercial space, and there are commercial vacancies in the area under market value. “Currently, the downtown area is not a great spot to build new commercial (units),” said Cardinal-Schultz.

“By having commercial space on the bottom, we run the massive risk of having to greatly increase the rent of the residential units, creating larger vacancies. Couple that with, likely, having the commercial space sit vacant, which attracts vagrants and creates an unsafe space both for our lot and the neighbouring commercial lots as well.” With more space dedicated to housing, the project is more reliable for the client, and allows for a lower cost of each unit, he said.

Based on the last project Concept Homes did for this client, Cardinal-Schultz said, the three-bedroom units were priced around $1,650 per month, and the two-bedroom units were listed at around $1,250. He added that there was only this one objection received for the proposal out of 50 letters his team sent to the neighbourhood when applying for the conditional use. Dornn said the 10-bedroom, five-bathroom supportive home on 10th Street is rare and he felt the need to advocate for it.

After the hearing, council passed a motion to allow the residential building to proceed without commercial units. » [email protected] Advertisement Advertisement.