Six-storey seniors facility approved despite neighbourhood opposition

Steinbach city council approved variations that would allow for a six-storey facility described on city documents as “independent assisted living” on Stone Bridge Crossing despite massive neighbourhood opposition without a single person in favour except for the applicant, Bridge Park Manor, represented by Nic Thiessen of Three Way Builders.

Bridge Park Manor requested two variances. Located in the residential medium density zoning, the maximum permitted height is three storeys.

Bridge Park Manor asked for that to be doubled to six.

Because the initial plan calls for 81 suites the facility requires 1.5 parking stalls per residential unit plus 10 percent for guest parking, a total of 134 stalls.

Bridge Park Manor requested that it be changed to a 1:1 ratio.

Council approved the height variance for the 75-foot-tall building, but balked at the parking variation, instead settling on reducing the ratio to 1.25 parking spots for every suite.

Thiessen presented the case for the not-for-profit, saying they need to build higher to make the suites more affordable.

With a three-storey facility the building would be limited to 30 to 35 new suites, he said.

“The economic reality is that without being able to increase the suite count Bridge Park likely will not be able to maintain the affordability goals that they have, and may make the project non-viable,” he told council.

He argued that although the site is bordered on one side by single family homes, the remaining sides border on other multi-unit buildings and drainage areas.

“The building is being positioned as far from the single-family homes as possible to maintain privacy and we’ll do everything reasonable to protect the existing trees while meeting the city’s drainage and grading standards,” he said.

Those opposed expressed concerns about surface drainage and the increased load to the sanitary sewer.

Although council pointed out that sanitary sewers would not add to the Georgetown load, an area that suffered multiple sewer backups in recent years, the concern by residents was still that it would impact the total load of Steinbach’s sewer system.

Meg Robinson, a representative of the Georgetown Flood Collective, said Stone Bridge Crossing residents also suffered flooding and sewer backups and she questioned whether Lift Station #1 could meet the demand.

“In a storm event it is of my opinion that this lift station is already under significant load,” she said. “My concern is that our lift station does not have the required capacity or somewhere down the line we have a bottleneck that is creating a vast amount of pressure that myself and my neighbours have endured.”

Robinson said she has suffered through five flooding events and said she couldn’t believe the project was even being considered.

“I’m shocked that we are approving yet another building that adds significant load, whether it’s to the Georgetown sewer system or just the sewer system to Lift Station 1,” she said.

Robinson said she wanted to see studies of the sewer system, to see if the changes will meet the needs, something she said she has not been supplied.

Robinson also worried about what this decision could mean for the future.

“It feels like this is setting a precedent where city council can rezone neighbourhoods, give away land to developers and then pull the rug up over residents’ eyes,” she said.

Robinson also had a petition with 108 signatures opposing the variance and was backed up by other Albert Street and Stone Bridge Crossing neighbours who spoke of concerns ranging from flooding to traffic.

Councillors were not unanimous in their support for the variances.

Coun. Jac Siemens made a motion to deny the variance, but couldn’t find a seconder.

He said he had no issue with the parking variance but did with the size of the building.

“I think six-storey buildings belong in our central business district,” he said. “In this area we have all three-storey buildings. It should be maintained as three-storey buildings.”

Coun. Michael Zwaagstra made the motion to approve the six storeys and a variance for 1.25 parking stalls per residence.

He said if the variance was denied a three-storey building could still be built, including a regular apartment building that was not for seniors.

“Going up six storeys obviously has a bigger impact than three storeys, but not in every area,” he said, adding there are no additional trees that would come down as a result of the change.

He added that Bridge Park is a trusted company.

“We like Bridge Park. We like having seniors’ housing in Steinbach. We’d like to have more seniors’ housing in Steinbach,” he said.

He also dismissed concerns of sewer backups, pointing out that the sewage does not even go to the area of Georgetown which experienced the worst of the basement flooding.

“We can’t say no to a development that happens to be nearby because of what happened in a different area when we know objectively the sewer actually goes to a different area,” he said.

He also defended council on how they handle opposition.

“Public hearings do matter. We do listen. We do factor things in. Just because one disagrees with a decision doesn’t mean they weren’t listened to,” he said. “It means that we look at all the information, we do the best we can with all the information we have.”

“More seniors’ housing is a good thing in Steinbach. We want to see it,” he added.

Coun. Susan Penner, who has been flooded twice herself, seconded the motion.

She said council is for people who have been flooded and seniors who need homes.

“Council can vote for a project like this that allows for some of those 220 people who are on the waiting list to have a space to move, and we can simultaneously work on improving drainage. These things aren’t one or the other, it’s both,” she said.

Remaining councillors also expressed their support for the project.