Some new affordable housing units may be on the way to the north end of the city.
This after a rezoning request was approved by Council’s Community Services Committee Monday night.
Peter Carello, Senior Planner with the City of North Bay, says the developer is looking to convert a former 12-unit motel on Highway 11 North into efficiency units.
“Efficiency units are a smaller form of a dwelling unit, the zoning bylaw defines an efficiency unit as consisting of a main room and some combination of bathroom, kitchen, closets, dining alcove and hall space,” he says.
One resident expressed concerns about the septic system’s capacity to accommodate the conversion.
Rick Miller with Miller and Urso Surveying Inc., which filed the rezoning application, says the issues around the septic system have been addressed.
“A licensed septic installer has been hired, has reviewed this system for the motel as well as applied for a new system to be put in for the dwelling,” he says. “They’re working with the Conservation Authority to finalize those approvals.”
Miller also said the White Fawn Motel has been around since the 1950s.
“Those types of motels have become no longer useful to the travelling public and are very seldom used. The owners of the property wish to convert it to something that is more useful in our society today, in being efficiency units,” Miller says.
A lack of transit service to the area was brought up by Deputy Mayor Tanya Vrebosch.
“It is something that I think we need to be cognizant of that if we are increasing residential capacity past the Bay Truck Stop, that we may need to look at, even if it’s the transit on-demand service, if we’re increasing capacity then it isn’t something that we need to review,” she says.
The rezoning still requires approval from full council.
