A resident's concerns about the proposed new apartment buildings in South Porcupine have been dismissed by the Ontario Land Tribunal.
Ken Boucher appealed the zoning changes at 185 Crawford St. approved by Timmins council in October 2021. The amendment is to allow for Praztek Construction to build two, three-storey buildings with six apartments each on the lot.
At the Ontario Land Tribunal hearing held on May 26-27, Boucher and Pete Beaucage, a director of Praztek Construction, represented themselves. While the City of Timmins did not formally appear at the hearing, planner Cindy Welsh was summoned to provide evidence.
Boucher's appeal raised concerns about infrastructure, preservation of trees and over-development of the residential area, according to the tribunal report. He also provided a petition with 88 signatures from nearby residents that was previously presented to Timmins council. None of the people who signed the petition attended the hearing or tried to be a participant.
The tribunal says it dismissed Boucher's appeal because he didn't provide expert opinion evidence and was unable to "successfully challenge the opinions and conclusions" of Welsh's support of the zoning changes.
Welsh testified that the application allows for a safe and healthy community, adds different housing options through intensification and is in an appropriate area for growth and development.
"Ms. Welsh pointed out that storm water management will be properly dealt with as part of a site plan control," reads the tribunal report.
In an October 2021 report to council, city staff said the new apartment buildings would decrease the sewer capacity in the area by one per cent. Praztek Construction will still need a site plan control agreement approved by Timmins council for the development.
For the impact of the development, Welsh testified that Praztek's application complied with the city's requirements for parking and trees.
"Issues regarding maintenance, refuse and traffic must be dealt with through site plan control. There were no safety issues raised by any of the City’s four area school boards," according to the tribunal's decision.
Read the full report here.
