Resident Jan Radwanski said he believes before the city rezones a property to high density residential, affected landowners should be consulted.
“We’re having to rezone properties, but I think when they’re in R1 (low-density residential district) areas or in budding R1 areas, (rezoming) really does present some big challenges to people who live in the area,” said Radwanski.
Radwanski, also a member of the Prairie South School Division board, addressed city council at Monday’s meeting regarding a proposed zoning amendment bylaw for the former-Grandview United Church at 722-10th Ave. S.W.
The proposed amendment was to rezone the land from community service and institution district to high-density residential district to allow a developer to construct a five-dwelling unit apartment building.
According to a report from the city clerk/solicitor’s department, Radwanski was only one of many residents concerned with the potential rezoning. The city received five letters from affected property owners citing opposition to the rezoning because of increased traffic flow, parking issues and increased noise. The city also received a petition signed by 47 area residents expressing their opposition to the rezoning.
“As Moose Jaw’s growing, here’s another example on an infringement on an R1 zone,” said Radwanski. “It’s a rezoning request basically within a school yard and given that there’s a lot of traffic in the area, parking concerns … traffic patterns on unpaved roads, (there are) challenges that are going to come with that project.”
But councillors Don Mitchell, Heather Eby and Patrick Boyle expressed the need to continue with the development.
“We’re not sort of frozen in time and space. We have a very serious shortage and demand for rental units,” said Mitchell. “(We have) the lowest vacancy rate in the province along with Regina and … (this is a chance) to reuse, recycle an existing facility that is closed in an area which I don’t think is a high-volume street.”
For more information, see an upcoming edition of the Times-Herald.
