Developments get thumbs-up from city’s appeal committee

Buyers of new homes in a south St. Vital development will not be allowed to drill wells and will instead have to get their water from cisterns.

At a meeting that stretched into the evening Wednesday, the civic appeal committee ruled the developer of 23 homes on a 57-acre property can proceed, but each home must have a cistern. The homes are slated for 45 Daman Farm Rd, 100 Jean Louis Rd. and 2974 St. Mary’s Rd.

Residents are concerned about the addition of wells because the groundwater is sensitive to salt contamination.

Michelle Olivson, one of about 120 residents who opposed the development, said she’s not sure the city’s decision will protect their drinking water.

“It’s laughable because it is not something the city can enforce,” Olivson said on Thursday.

“The developer is selling each of the lots to individual lot buyers… there is no monitoring of it. It will be that residents will spy on their neighbours to find a well.”

However, Coun. Vivian Santos, who chaired the committee meeting, said she believes the condition will work.

“We put a condition on the variance that cisterns need to be constructed on each of the lots,” Santos said. “Developers would have to pay for the cisterns to be installed.

“Developers can make it a condition on the sale and the developer would be obligated to install cisterns… I hope residents, if they choose to live out there, understand the concerns about the water out there.”

The appeal committee also approved the construction of a seven-storey, 72-foot (21.9 metre) high, 115-unit, multi-family project in north St. Boniface, at Rue Aubert and Rue St. Joseph.

But the committee ruled the developer has to hire a certified arborist to monitor a century-old cottonwood tree next door, as well as put up shoring for additional protection.

Tom Scott, one of almost three dozen residents who opposed the development, said it is taller than other buildings, which city planners capped at 55 feet (16.8 metres), and the underground parkade opens up to the two-lane Aubert instead of St. Joseph, which has three lanes.

“This is not NIMBYism,” Scott said. “Most of the other buildings here have been supported by the community. This is not just the tree, it is safety… it just makes more sense to have the entrance (to the underground parking) on St. Joseph.”

Matt Allard, the councillor for the area who is also on the appeal committee, had to leave the meeting while the matter was dealt with because he had helped rule on it earlier at the local community committee. He said he understands residents’ concerns, but the area is listed as a high-density area. He said 25 of the units will be three-bedroom suites for families.

Allard called the addition of residents positive for the entire area.

“Every time we add more density, the Provencher Boulevard businesses benefit,” he said. “I keep seeing a more and more vibrant St. Boniface.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca