‘We need to do more’: Charlottetown mayor says affordable housing remains priority in 2023
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown stated growing the inventory of inexpensive housing can be one of many metropolis’s high targets in 2023.
In an interview with SaltWire Community on Dec. 30, Brown spoke about utilizing instruments within the metropolis’s zoning and improvement bylaw to do exactly that.
One suggestion made to the town was to make it simpler for householders so as to add accent buildings or backyard suites to their property.
Proper now, a resident must have not less than a half-acre of land to qualify.
Brown stated if the town decreased the requirement in its bylaw to .34 acres it will make a giant distinction.
“We’d be a further 1,700 items if each home-owner or property proprietor took benefit of including an adjunct constructing, secondary residence or a backyard suite,” Brown stated.
Another choice open to the town is one thing Brown talked about throughout the municipal election marketing campaign in 2022 – inclusionary zoning.
Town must ask the province to amend the Planning Act to make it part of the zoning and improvement bylaw, but when that had been to occur, many builders can be required to put aside 10 per cent of the items of their tasks and designate them as inexpensive.
Brown stated the town’s definition of inexpensive can be tied to a household’s revenue.
He added the town will proceed with its standing committee on inexpensive housing and provide a tax incentive to builders and non-governmental organizations (NGO) that meet the provincial necessities for inexpensive housing.
“We have to do extra,” he stated. “This unhoused disaster is as a result of we don’t have sufficient housing. Our provide is down, and we now have to repair that by making certain that we now have extra instruments out there for our zoning and improvement bylaw to encourage and supply incentives to provincial and federal governments (and) the NGOs to construct extra inexpensive housing. The provision is just not assembly the demand.”
Capital tasks
Official discussions on what the yr forward will appear to be will start in January.
Council will then move its annual capital funds in February.
Scott Adams, supervisor of public works, stated the town can be getting began on the Japanese Gateway Grasp Plan.
The japanese gateway is bounded by Cumberland Road, Grafton Road, Kensington Street, Riverside Drive and Water Road Parkway.
The plan, developed by Toronto-based City Methods in 2010, is a long-term doc that illustrates how this space of the town may evolve over time.
This yr will see two tasks that can affect site visitors within the east finish.
Council has already accepted a young to attach Park Road to the adjoining Seaside Road. This venture implies that site visitors will not have the ability to use Park Road as a through-way between Kensington Street and Riverside Drive.
Watch: Park Road venture – Charlottetown, P.E.I. by SaltWire Community reporter Dave Stewart:
Adams added that Water Road Parkway will even see a giant change.
The parkway now stretches east to the Grafton Road and Riverside Drive intersection. This yr, a brand new highway can be constructed between the Maritime Electrical plant and the Charlottetown Occasion Grounds.
As soon as full, the parkway will hyperlink as much as Grafton Road at a brand new signalized intersection close to the Holland Faculty parking tons.
Brown added that the town will even must resolve whether or not it has any intentions of continuing this yr with plans for a 3rd fireplace station within the northwest finish.
Town has land on Malpeque Street.
“Now we have to decide on the place we’re going with it,” the mayor stated. “The plans are carried out, the design is finished, all the pieces is able to go. Now we have to get a advice from our fireplace operations, the chief included.”
CAO
Brown stated the town is seeking to have a everlasting chief administrative officer in place by the center of January.
Donna Waddell got here out of retirement in Might to fill the position on an interim foundation after Peter Kelly was terminated with out trigger in Might.
Brown is hoping to have extra info to share with council and the general public someday throughout the first week of January.
Highlights
Following are a few of the tales generated by council in 2022:
January
February
March
April
Might
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Dave Stewart is a reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He could be reached by electronic mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @DveStewart.
