Large development approved by EK-Transcona committee

Transcona

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This article was published 02/10/2024 (549 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The East Kildonan-Transcona community committee held a regular meeting on Sept. 23.

A public hearing was completed for a combined subdivision, rezoning, and variance application for a large neighbourhood development southwest of Dawson Road South at Plessis Road. The matter was first presented to the committee in June, but given the scale of the project, Coun. Russ Wyatt (Transcona) asked for a number of clarifications, regarding phasing, traffic, information on how the development will fit in with neighbouring developments, and more. While the matter was discussed at length again on Sept. 4, Wyatt felt that more information from the developer was warranted before a final decision could be made.

A group of residents from Southland Park submitted opposition, citing through traffic, among other concerns, though nobody spoke in opposition during the hearing. At earlier hearings, nobody had registered in opposition.

When complete, in 10 to 15 years, the development will include approximately 1,300 units, depending on how final plans proceed, which would be determined in part by the market. The proponents described the proposal as employing “cutting-edge suburban density,” regarding land use and other considerations.

Following a lengthy discussion that lasted most of the day, the application was approved, along with a number of amendments regarding timelines for constructing roadways, active transportation paths, and traffic calming measures. Wyatt also pushed for developers to include a dog park, a basketball and/or pickleball court, and other amenities within parks in the neighbourhood, along with communicating with Winnipeg Transit about planning streets and connections with neighbouring Southland Park.

“This is a continuation of both the developments to the west and to the south,” Wyatt said in support of the project. “But the City of Winnipeg needs to address long-standing transportation issues in this area — namely, regional infrastructure that has not been built going back to 2010.”

Wyatt added that a goal of the committee’s with regard to this proposed development was to “address outstanding Transit issues, climate change issues/environmental policy initiatives, but this has fallen short today.” He laid the blame on a lack of clear policy at city hall to address such concerns. “That is somewhat frustrating, to say the least.”

A subdivision and rezoning application at 309, 313, and 500 Desrosiers Dr. in Canterbury Park in Transcona, which would essentially rezones two lots from single-family residential to parkland, while rezoning on property currently zoned for parkland to become residential, was also approved following a public hearing. Nobody was registered in opposition.