Summerside residents speak out against official plan changes 

More than 100 people packed into a Summerside meeting room Thursday night to express their concerns about the bigger and taller buildings allowed in proposed changes to the city's official plan.

Federal money provided through the Housing Accelerator Fund – $5.8 million for Summerside – requires changes as part of a plan to increase housing density across the country.

But that didn't sit well with some residents. 

Alan Thorpe, one of many he spoke against the changes, said he feels the city is rushing the changes in an effort to secure federal dollars.

"I support the expansion of the City of Summerside but only under its own terms and its own timing," Thorpe said during the more than three-hour long meeting. 

"None of this seems to be under their own terms or their own timing. It all seems to be dictated by the federal government. I totally understand the desire of the federal government, which with its open door policy towards immigration has caused a housing crisis, a healthcare crisis and a service crisis."      

None of the more than 20 speakers who took part in the meeting at Credit Union Place supported the changes. 

The city has already made some adjustments to the plan due to public pressure. Earlier this month, the city proposed four-unit townhouses or row housing but not four-unit apartments in areas zoned for single-family or mixed residential. 

Margo Thompson said she's not convinced the proposed changes to the official plan will do anything to address the housing crisis in the city. 

"This plan does not address the big issue, the big issue right now is affordability," said Thompson.

"I don't know how this plan with all the changes is going to deal with the issues at hand…$5.8 million right now is not a reason to throw what we have away."

Teenager Sophie Gallant also raised concern about the types of housing that may be going into the city.

"I would definitely love to come back to P.E.I. once I'm done studying to come live here because this is my hometown, it's where I grew up and it's where I love," said Gallant.

"I don't want to have to raise my kids in a duplex, in a townhouse in whatever you guys are putting into the city, because that's not what I want for my children. I want children to be able to live freely, and make as much noise and have friends over late at night and not have to worry about the things that you guys want our new generation to worry about."