Committee split down middle over proposal to allow construction closer to airport

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This article was published 20/04/2020 (1981 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A hotly debated plan to allow home construction closer to Winnipeg’s airport has divided a council committee, following concerns that could trigger noise complaints and put airport operations at risk.

On Monday, council’s property and development committee cast a 2-2 vote on the matter, a tie that means the proposal will head to the executive policy committee on April 28 with no recommendation.

Couns. Brian Mayes (St. Vital) and Matt Allard (St. Boniface) sided with city staff in rejecting a call to amend Winnipeg’s Airport Vicinity Protection Plan (AVPA). The amendment would allow multi-family buildings to be built in the Polo Park area, including at the site of the former Canad Inns Stadium.

“This will just start eroding this airport protection zone,” said Mayes, the committee’s chairman. “You really want to be very cautious about putting that at risk. That’s a very big part of the economy.”

Couns. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) and Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) voted in favour of the planning change, though Rollins expressed concern about making an exception to normal city rules.

The AVPA currently imposes severe restrictions on residential construction in the area. Lukes believes the substantial new development could be built without harming airport operations, noting new technology has reduced plane noise.

“This is over a billion dollars’ worth of development that I think, probably even more so going forward, is critical. With the advancements of aviation… I felt that we could have both,” said Lukes.

City staff and the Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA) oppose the change, due to concerns the new residents would make frequent noise complaints that threaten the airport’s 24-hour operations.

“What we’ve seen from other jurisdictions is that when they start to put residential developments in flight paths, it causes nothing but problems for a community,” said Tyler MacAfee, the WAA’s vice-president. “We’re finding that noise complaints are increasing even as airport technology has become quieter.”

MacAfee said the city should update its entire AVPA, instead of allowing “patchwork” development amendments to the current rules.

By contrast, developers Cadillac Fairview and Shindico Realty say their research shows homeowner noise concerns shouldn’t conflict with airport operations.

And the residential construction is part of a mixed-use development that would notably increase Winnipeg’s tax base, said Justin Zarnowski, Shindico’s lawyer.

“Why not allow Cadillac Fairview to invest, potentially, a billion dollars in our city when the experts say this won’t have an impact on the airport’s 24-hour operation?” said Zarnowksi.

In March, the Assiniboia community committee voted unanimously in favour of changing the AVPA to allow the development.

Actually changing the rules would require council approval.

Joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga