Committee OKs plan to convert former Sudbury school into 74 residential units
At a meeting on Monday afternoon, Greater Sudbury's planning committee approved a plan to convert the former St. Bernadette's school on Auger Street into 74 residential units, beginning first with 20 units.
The proposal would see the existing school building converted into 20 apartments, with the remaining 54 units spread across three new buildings on the site. St. Bernadette Catholic Elementary School closed in 2015.
At a meeting on Monday afternoon, Greater Sudbury's planning committee approved a plan to convert the former St. Bernadette's school on Auger Street into 74 residential units, beginning with 20 units. St. Bernadette Catholic Elementary School closed in 2015. (Greater Sudbury planning department photo)
"The site is serviced by municipal water and sanitary sewer services, and there are public transit stops on the east side of Auger Avenue at the subject lands, and on the south side of Hawthorne Drive approximately 50 metres to the northeast," said a staff report on the plan.
"The surrounding area is predominantly low-density residential in character with two schools located to the east."
The plan calls for a phased development, with the 20 units built first and the remainder to proceed later when the area's sewage capacity is determined and increased if needed.
"The developer’s engineer has installed sanitary sewer flow monitoring equipment to determine specifically what upgrades are required to the downstream sanitary sewer system," the report said.
"Any upgrades to the downstream sewer system must be made prior to the remaining development proceeding."
The staff report recommended approving the application since the land is zoned for medium residential use and promotes the city's goal of land-use intensification.
That goal is aimed at having more people living in areas where city services and infrastructure already exist. While it makes paying for and maintaining services more affordable, the policy often encounters opposition from existing residents.
In particular, neighbourhoods with mainly single-family homes often oppose plans to bring in multi-residential units. Several letters of concern have been submitted opposing the plan to convert St. Bernadettes and four people spoke against the plan Monday afternoon.
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
Concerns include the loss of greenspace, the change in the character of the existing neighbourhood, increases in traffic density and the potential decline of the value of existing homes in the area.
"I am not opposed to the development of this site. It is the scale that is being suggested that gives me concern," one person wrote.
"I believe that a single building of 10-25 units would be of significant impact to the neighbourhood … but it would be within a margin of understanding in terms of a developer wishing to rehab the old school site. To suggest a development of three buildings with 74 units is simply outrageous and quite reckless."
However, committee members unanimously approved the plan, considering a study concluded the traffic impacts would less than the school when it was open, and the fact the city has a housing crisis and badly needs new housing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Canada will be absolutely fine': Justin Trudeau, his ministers and Pierre Poilievre congratulate Donald Trump
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his cabinet congratulated Donald Trump Wednesday morning on his second United States presidential election win, amid questions about how the federal government intends to navigate a second term.
What Donald Trump's election victory could mean for Canada
Following president-elect Donald Trump's decisive election victory, there are sure to be significant knock-on effects for Canada. Here's a look at the different areas in which a second Trump presidency may affect Canadians.
Kamala Harris concedes: Here's what she said in her speech
Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris conceded the U.S. election to Republican Donald Trump Wednesday afternoon, telling her supporters that her 'heart is full.'
Canada orders wind up of TikTok's Canadian business, app access to continue
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok's Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Newfoundland hockey player suspended, banned from local arena after off-ice fight with fan
A combination of a thrown stick and thrown punches have given a senior hockey player in Newfoundland a three-game suspension and an indefinite ban from one of his league's six arenas.
Controversial Australian Olympic breakdancer 'Raygun' retires from competition
Australian breaker Rachael Gunn has told a Sydney radio station that she plans to retire from competition just three months after her unconventional routine at the Paris Olympics led to her being ridiculed and spawned conspiracy theories about how she qualified for the Games.
Sleepy during the day? You may be at higher risk for a pre-dementia syndrome, study finds
If you find yourself sleepy during your daily activities in your older age, you may need to consider it more than an inconvenience — since the fatigue may indicate you’re at higher risk for developing a condition that can lead to dementia, a new study has found.
Kamala Harris made a historic dash for the White House. Here's why she fell short.
"Sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn't mean we won't win," U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris said on Wednesday in her concession speech.
Who won the popular vote? U.S. election vote totals from the past 40 years
Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency on Tuesday, and as of Wednesday morning, was also ahead in the popular vote. Historically, though, the candidate with the most votes hasn’t always won the contest.