Fort Erie councillors have approved a three-storey, 30-unit apartment building for Derby Road in Crystal Beach, despite ongoing opposition from neighbours and warnings that the project conflicts with the area's recently adopted secondary plan.
The application, which had been deferred at council's July 20 meeting, returned for discussion on Monday, Aug. 10, according to Fort Erie Radio. Councillors voted to greenlight the development at 19 Derby Road.
Developer Steve Bremner plans to build the apartment with a mix of unit sizes: two one-bedroom units, 23 two-bedroom units and five three-bedroom units.
Councillors who backed the project acknowledged the tension with planning policy. The Crystal Beach Secondary Plan was approved less than three years ago and does not support this type of development. Even supporters of the application pointed that out during Monday's debate.
In the end, a combination of factors won over the majority of council, chief among them the town's pressing need for rental housing — particularly affordable rentals.
"I know that the neighbours aren't necessarily happy about having a three-storey building in their neighbourhood," Mayor Wayne Redekop said, according to Fort Erie Radio.
"What we definitely need is apartment units, and rental apartment units. And we've had some tire kicking from some other developers. We've had some discussions about maybe utilizing our affordable housing CIP (community improvement plan). But we haven't had someone who's come forward who's had local experience building these types of units and managing them," Redekop added.
Bremner has indicated he intends not only to build the development but to manage it as well, and he is looking at including affordable units on the property.
His local experience and reputation did much of the heavy lifting in convincing councillors, Fort Erie Radio reported. So did his willingness to revise the proposal in response to feedback.
Councillor Ann-Marie Noyes said a project like Bremner's was not even a consideration when council passed the secondary plan, which gave her comfort in supporting the application.
"I'm pleased with how much he's changed things based on council's comments," Noyes said.
Not every councillor was convinced. Councillor Tom Lewis remained opposed. While he said he understands the need for rentals and affordable units, he reiterated his earlier position on residents' opposition and the recently approved secondary plan.
The approval adds a new rental option to a town where council has repeatedly pointed to a shortage of apartment units, and where other developers have so far shown only preliminary interest in building them.
