A large development on Howard Avenue has been given the green light by a city committee.
Windsor’s Development and Heritage Committee met Monday afternoon with one report looking for approval to rezone a parcel of land on the west side of Howard, just north of Cabana Road.
The rezoning is for a large development that includes four townhouses with a total of 16 units and two apartments with a total of 162 units, along with 220 parking spaces.
Committee members expressed concerns, mainly with the sanitary sewer capacity within the neighbourhood. Similar concerns were brought forward just weeks ago when a six-storey apartment was approved across the street at Howard and Holburn Street.
Administration stated that the storm sewer will be at 90 per cent capacity with the previously approved development and this development, which is still in a comfortable spot. However, they did state the city could upgrade just a portion of the sewer near these new builds before making full upgrades to the system along the Howard Avenue corridor in the future.
The city says upgrades to just that portion of Howard would cost approximately $2.3-million, but a figure to upgrade the entire corridor was not provided.
Patrick Winters, Manager of Development at City of Windsor, says there is capacity for the developments being presented and previously approved.
“There are wholesale, large-scale upgrades required to the full corridor of Howard Avenue that are in the tens of millions of dollars, this issue with capacity is limited to a minor stretch of sanitary when you look at the whole corridor. So upgrades can be considered just to that section of sanitary sewer should development come forward in that area.”
Committee member and ward 1 councillor, Fred Francis, says having 90 per cent capacity worries him.
“What frightens me is another flood. I’ve experienced two floods in my 12 years on council and they are horrific in south Windsor. And when I hear that we’re advancing these builds and we’re going to be at capacity - that scares me. That means we’re one storm away from flooding.”
Francis says these developments will be done before sewer upgrades are complete.
“I’m trying to do the math quickly in my head with respect to design, with respect to tender, with respect to RFP, with respect to build... they’re going to be done a lot quicker than we are. And with respect to 90 per cent, or 100 per cent, I just can’t take that risk with people’s basements, and that’s what frightens me now, I’m just being absolutely honest with you.”
Joelle Saad, a nearby resident, says she’s not against the build but wants to make sure the site is capable of handling the development.
“The other big concern is the capacity of the sanitary sewage in the city... and if they want to fix that portion then that’s fine, as long as it’s addressed we’re fine. No one is against a growing city, we understand how it works.”
The development was approved by the committee with only councillor Francis opposed. It will still require final approval from city council at a later date.
If approved by council, full completion of the development is expected to take upwards of four years.
A separate motion was approved to have administration draft a report that outlines plans and costs associated with upgrading the sanitary sewer capacity along Howard Avenue.