Controversial Grassie development OK’d again

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This article was published 09/03/2022 (1523 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

City councillors and staff had their work cut out for them at the Feb. 25 East Kildonan-Transcona community committee meeting and public hearing, which ran for over 10 hours. The bulk of the lengthy meeting was taken up by a number of public hearings. 

A controversial multi-family development located at 307 and 311 Grassie Blvd. was again discussed at length during a public hearing. The committee had dealt with subdivision and rezoning applications on the project, which would include 72 units with both three and four storey portions, late last year, with recommendations made to approve the applications, with provision of motor vehicle access and egress on Jacques Avenue. On Jan. 27, council referred the matter back to the EKT committee for further public input.

Former Transcona city councillor Russ Wyatt, acting as a consultant, represented the applicant.

“You see multi-family taking place, north and south, along Lagimodiere Boulevard,” Wyatt noted. “This makes a lot of sense. It’s good planning. We want to improve the neighbourhood.”

However, a number of area residents appeared in person and online in opposition. While many concerns were discussed, traffic and safety were cited repeatedly, along with what residents regarded as a lack of transparency in the process. Residents noted hundreds of traffic accidents in the area over the past five years, with the expectation that increased traffic would result in more accidents.

“My family has lived on Jacques Avenue for 15 years,” resident Moira Kennedy noted. “I understand why my neighbours are in opposition to this project. I have concerns about density and parking.” 

Amerjit Dhillon presented drone footage showing the flow of afternoon traffic down Grassie.

“There’s no way traffic will allow people to merge out onto Grassie safely,” Dhillon noted. “This is a concern with public safety.”

“If we vote against this, I guarantee it will be overturned,” Coun. Shawn Nason (Transcona) said at one point. “I heard very clearly that traffic is a concern, so I’m trying to find what we can do to address safety in the area.”

(During the regular meeting, Nason requested a speed limit review be done on Grassie, in response to concerns raised by residents.) 

The committee concurred in the recommendation that the standing policy committee on property and development, heritage and downtown development, with a number of servicing conditions, including the developer pay for traffic calming devices in the area to be installed, along with sidewalks and related works on Jacques Avenue and a multi-use pathway from Jacques to Ham Street, including lighting.

“This was a difficult decision,” Nason noted in support. “Change is difficult. This was not a rubber stamp.”

A variance to allow for a 75 x 103 foot lot into three 25 x 103 foot lots at 703 Prince Rupert Ave. was approved by the committee following a public hearing. The application would allow for three single-family homes, with secondary suites, to be built. One letter of opposition was received regarding the application, though nobody appeared to speak before the committee, while three adjacent property owners supported the application.

“I believe the concerns of some neighbours are met by the administration and the developer,” Coun. Jason Schreyer (Elmwood-East Kildonan) said in support.

A similar variance to split a lot at 629 Munroe Ave. into two 25 x 99 foot lots was also approved in the public hearing, with two single-family two-storey buildings on the site. Neighbour Chris Wilson spoke in opposition to the project.

“My wife and I bought in this neighbourhood because houses weren’t right on top of each other,” Wilson said. “I’m so stressed about this.”

“My concern is how this affects the next door neighbour,” Schreyer said in support, noting the application was consistent with Our Winnipeg and that the application fit within all standard bylaws regarding distance of new buildings from the neighbouring properties. “But I don’t blame people for these concerns. They should be raised.”

“My wife and I bought in this neighbourhood because houses weren’t right on top of each other,” Wilson said. “I’m so stressed about this.” 

“My concern is how this affects the next-door neighbour,” Schreyer said in support, noting the application was consistent with Our Winnipeg and that the application fit within all standard bylaws regarding distance of new buildings from the neighbouring properties. “But I don’t blame people for these concerns. They should be raised.”

The committee approved a secondary plan amendment for 2000 Henderson Hwy.

“This is consistent with development with the area,” Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) said. “Unfortunately, we aren’t able to remove unit cap at this time, but I would like to put an axe through the North Henderson Highway Secondary plan once and for all. It has really stunted growth in that area.”

A combined hearing was also held for a subdivision, rezoning, and variance at 745 Bonner Ave., which would complete rezoning to single family lots on the south and east sides of Cindy Klassen Way. Previous phases were approved in November 2021 and in January. The applications were approved.

During the regular meeting, committee heard delegations discussing neighbourhood livability bylaw amendments regarding public hoarding.

Linda English of End Homelessness Winnipeg was among those who shared concerns with way the bylaw is proposed, noting there is currently no support for hoarders, which is a recognized mental health disorder, especially those who are unhoused.

“I worry about opening that door to having a bylaw that can be used punitively,” English said.

“I’m choosing this approach to move it forward, to have dialogue,” Nason said. “We may not agree.”

Plans for a large multi-family development at 30 El Tassi Dr. were approved.

A number of grants were approved during the regular meeting, including $4,000 in land dedication reserve funding from Elmwood-East Kildonan ward to provide communications equipment for Bear Clan Elmwood and the Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation.

Nason put forward a motion requesting a report regarding notification of public hearings be run in print, rather than just appearing online.

“I put this forward to have this discussion at executive policy committee,” Nason said. “We’re at a point in time where hearing notices for public hearings can be considered online. That one day that they’re in the paper I don’t think matters as much as being on our public website.”

Browaty, meanwhile, said that while he agreed that more and more people are accessing information online, he still felt there were value in having a permanent, archival record.