Conditions set for Water Tower District residential units

St. Boniface

The Riel community committee held a special meeting on June 30, after three public hearings were laid over during the regular meeting held on June 26.

The first hearing was held in regard to a variance for a 65-unit affordable multifamily development on Taché Avenue. The variance would allow the development to have a smaller yard and less parking spaces than required by zoning bylaws.

The approved variance, and the plans for the development which were also approved, allow for a 7.9 foot south side yard and 8.9 foot north side yard when the by law requires 18 feet The variance also allowed for a reduction from 48 parking spaces to 39.

The hearing for 825 Taché Ave. brought one community member to speak in opposition, who cited parking space reductions as his concern. City staff said they had received five letters of opposition, but did not say what the concerns were in the letters were.

Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) supported the variance and plan approval in his ward. He said Taché Avenue was meant as a high-density street.

“This is a good project with deeply affordable units and a large number of accessible units, we need this type of building across Winnipeg,” Allard said.

A combined hearing was held for a subdivision and rezoning, as well as a zoning agreement amendment for a development plan that’s long been in the works in St. Boniface.

Along Ibrahima Diallo Avenue and Paulette Duguay Street are plans for an infill development on former industrial lands, colloquially known as Water Tower District.

The approximately 138-acre development space will one day hold commercial/retail space, multifamily residential housing, and park space.

The rezoned area divided the future residential area of the community into nine lots, with a potential to hold up to 2,800 units — if conditions set by the committee are met by the developer. If not, a maximum of 1,200 units would be allowed.

Up to 2,000 units are allowed within the nine lots, and two others that were zoned last year, if rail crossing safety measures are added, such as a predictive alert system. A maximum of 2,800 lots would be allowed if the previous condition is met, and a paved emergency vehicle access road is added to the area.

With no registered support or opposition, the committee approved the development with the conditions recommended by the Winnipeg Public Service.

The Riel community committee has no meetings over the summer. The next scheduled regular meeting is on Sept. 1.