Summerside adopts official plan, keeps millions in federal housing money

Summerside city council adopted a new official plan Monday night as residents filled the council chamber in opposition to it.

The vote means the city will keep $5.8 million in federal money through the Housing Accelerator Fund. In order to get that money, the city had to allow for four-unit buildings across the city.

"The overall objective is to increase the opportunity for attainable housing, so to create more opportunities for housing across the spectrum and across the entire city. So, you know, it's been a lot of work to get to here", says Summerside Mayor Dan Kutcher.

"We know we have a housing supply shortage across this country. We have one here and in order to address it we need to continue to build."

The city did make some adjustments to the plan due to public pressure. The city proposed four-unit townhouses or row housing but not four-unit apartments in areas zoned for single-family or mixed residential.

More than 30 people showed up at council for the vote Tuesday night, the vast majority against the official plan. The crowd clapped when councillors voted against the plan and jeered when they spoke in favour of it.

"I don't like this plan as it is" said Margo Thompson, who lives in Summerside, adding that she doesn't understand why existing neighbourhoods may have to allow for apartments or townhouses when there is other land to expand into.

"We have lots of open areas that we can infill, they can develop. We don't have to sacrifice what we have in Summerside now, we can add to it. We don't have to change it," she said.

With the way the vote went, Thompson is worried about a multi-unit dwelling being put by her home, so she's considering moving, she said.

Last month, more than 100 people packed into a Summerside meeting room to express concerns over the official plan, many of them concerned about tall buildings being put next to their homes or added traffic brought on by increased development.

The resolution passed five to three with councillors Norma MacColeman, Bruce MacDougall and Carrie Adams voting against.

"There are 10, that I quickly counted, multi-unit buildings under construction in Summerside… and they are all varying sizes. They are all more than four, 12 might be the smallest, units and they are all in varying steps of completion. I think I would just like to see those and what we have opened now being filled before we tie our hands to an agreement that's not benefiting anybody," Adams said during the council meeting, adding she didn't think the $5.8 million is enough when it comes to infrastructure. 

"It's really nothing to be selling our soul for, so I'm a no," she said.

Coun. Cory Snow didn't seem to understand the opposition to apartments and townhouses.