Residents pour cold water on proposed development in St. Vital

Some south St. Vital residents hope to stop a development proposal to build 23 new homes over fears the construction would put their well water at risk.

The proposal aims to add the homes at 45 Daman Farm Rd., 100 Jean Louis Rd. and 2974 St. Mary’s Rd., a 57-acre property on the west side of St. Mary’s Road in the St. Vital Perimeter South neighbourhood. The area is located within city limits but does not have city water and sewer service.

“This particular property lies in a sensitive groundwater area and every well that’s drilled in this area just contaminates the water even further by adding more salt,” said Michelle Olivson, who lives in the area.

City staff recommended the housing application be rejected over the groundwater concerns but city council’s property and development committee voted in favour of the project Friday, echoing a previous community committee vote.

A city report notes about 120 residents have signed up to oppose the plan.

Olivson said previous development has already reduced water quality for some residents, with some tests indicating it is no longer safe for some people to drink.

“It would be dangerous to health, if you’re drinking water high in salt and cooking with water high in salt constantly,” she said.

A 2004 hydrogeological report found adding new wells in the area could contaminate groundwater, a city report notes.

“To prevent the risk of salt water infiltration in the aquifers, the report recommended lot sizes be restricted to five acres or larger. The larger lot sizes are recommended to limit the number of private wells drawing water from the aquifer,” the staff report notes.

When the Riel community committee approved the proposal earlier this month, it added a caveat that wells shall not be permitted.

Residents doubt the city can effectively monitor and enforce that requirement.

“People who have been approved for these types of subdivisions have put in wells and there’s nothing the city can do about it. The public service has stated they don’t even monitor wells. It’s at risk of contaminating the groundwater of 1,800 residents in the area,” said Olivson.

A project of the same size was rejected for the site in 2021, while the Riel Community Committee did approve the addition of 10 five-acre lots for the site in 2022, the city report notes.

The current development proposal would create 23 rural residential lots that range in size from 3.3 acres to 1.9 acres.

Coun. Markus Chambers, who voted in favour of the project at Riel committee, said he believes the caveat requiring that no new wells be built is enforceable already, while he is also working with legal staff on a motion to strengthen that process.

“There are mitigators now that are in play that would suggest the … groundwater can be preserved and protected,” said Chambers (St. Norbert-Seine River).

The councillor, whose ward includes the development, said the previous decision to allow the construction of 10 lots set no limit on how many wells could be built to support the new homes.

“At least in this (new) scenario, we have a mechanism, the caveat on the title, the fact that each and every one of those 23 properties will come back to the Riel Community Committee with architectural design plans that show a cistern and holding tank for wastewater before permits are approved,” said Chambers.

Coun. Brian Mayes also supported the motion.

“I’m concerned about the water but … the choice here wasn’t zero development or this development. The (alternate) choice was fewer houses, which could have multiple wells,” said Mayes (St. Vital).

A planner for the project said the requirement that no wells be added is the best option to create homes while protecting the water supply.

“If the concern is protecting the aquifer, developing lots with no wells would be the best means of (doing so.) … If someone has a caveat on their title saying they’re not allowed to drill a well, (if) they drill the well, they would be breaching that,” said Jeff Pratte, a planner with Landmark Planning and Design.

Pratte said the developers obtained two legal opinions that indicate the city can enforce well restrictions.

However, the city staff report cautions “the public service is not in a position to set up the various required regulatory mechanisms nor arrange sharing or transfer of jurisdiction of wells from the province.”

In an email, city spokesman Kalen Qually said the city’s power on when it can intervene has limits.

“While we can impose land-use restrictions through a zoning agreement, the construction of the well itself is not permitted or regulated by the city. We cannot proactively stop the construction of a well until the construction has been reported,” wrote Qually.

City council is expected to cast a final vote on the proposal on Sept. 25.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

X: @joyanne_pursaga