Land near Kipling Street has been discussed as a potential site to build townhouses as an affordable housing project, but city councillors say they have questions about the suitability of the area that includes several city work yards and the AHS addictions recovery centre.--News Photo Collin Gallant
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
A proposal to build an affordable housing project on city land near several work yards will “raise more questions” at city council next week, according the head of a committee that heard the idea this week.
Medicine Hat Community Housing hopes to build up to 80 townhouses to increase housing available to low-income Hatters with the help of federal and provincial grants.
That would require a municipal contribution as well, and this week councillors on the public services committee heard about the potential to hand over and service land near Kipling Street for the project.
It is currently zoned for community district but mainly because it is located between a number of civic storage yards and the fleet garage, land acquired over the years by the city to discourage residential development.
Coun. Allison Knodel sits on the public services committee, which heard the proposal Monday, and is generally supportive, saying the location is on existing roads and bus routes, and close to Kin Coulee Park, and with a large development, residents would not be isolated.
“There are a lot of good questions, but I really think that housing in the short term has to be a priority,” she told the News on Wednesday.
Committee chair Coun. Ramona Robins also voted in favour of sending the plan to council for approval Dec. 19.
Other councillors say they want more information on the proposal before making a decision.
“I’m supportive of the effort and the work done, but I’m interested to hear how they landed on that location,” said Coun. Darren Hirsch. “Is there somewhere better?”
Medicine Hat Community Housing officials state they have a waiting list of 390 Hat households that are seeking less expensive housing.
Initially two buildings with 20 units each would be built, if the land transaction and federal grants are approved. A second similar phase might follow on the parcel that sits separated from Kipling Street by the city’s fleet garage and the Canada Post distribution warehouse.
To the west is the Alberta Health Services addictions recovery centre, the city’s utility distribution dispatch shops, a recycling depot, municipal works material storage yard and offices.
Only one house remains on the stretch of arterial road.
It’s owner, James Gargett, told the News he has no plans to sell or move but he wouldn’t object to the proposal.
“You can’t live anywhere that’s as cheap as the house you’re in,” he said, stating he had no immediate objection to affordable housing nearby.
“Unless there’s some sort of spectacular offer, I’m not moving.”
The project may not need the residential lot, however – a road access runs along side the lot in question. That little known portion of Fifth Avenue SE also provides access to a community garden plot, owned by the city and operated by Community Food Connections.
Coun. Alison Van Dyke, also the head of Community Food Connections, recused herself from Monday’s discussion.
Background information included in a summary states talks that began in 2021 revolved around vacant city-land directly across from the Medicine Hat Remand and Police Station, near Maple Avenue. But city land officials with Invest Medicine Hat have said that is no longer an option.
That vacant land served as additional parking for the Medicine Hat Arena and was an early option for Event Centre construction in the late 2000s.
Maple Avenue and that area is now denoted in the 2021 municipal development plan as one of several “urban transects” in the city.
Those areas are spelled out as potential revitalization zones where more dense residential and commercial development would be encouraged.
Knodel said her opinion is that staff believe the half block in the North Flats is too small for future phases.
