Granville Park plan clears first political hurdle - May. 18, 2010
Kathy Bockus/Courier
Elaine Granville, daughter-in-law of the late Stanley Granville for whom Granville Park in St. Stephen was named, looks over the plan for a proposed seniors housing complex with developer Raymond Disher. A public meeting was held at the St. Stephen Legion Monday evening on the proposed rezoning and sale of Granville Park that would allow the housing project to evolve. Mrs. Granville is in favour of the development.
BY KATHY BOCKUS
kathy@stcroixcourier.ca
ST. STEPHEN - Town council has given unanimous approval to the first reading of a motion that would see Granville Park on Prince William Street rezoned.
The rezoning would allow the town-owned property to be sold to local developers who want to build a 30 unit apartment complex for seniors on the site.
The motion passed during Monday evening’s regular session of council followed a presentation by the developers during a public meeting on the proposed amendment to the town’s municipal plan regarding the rezoning.
The rezoning application now enters the public hearing process which allows for a special council meeting June 21 at the St. Stephen Legion. There, proponents and opponents can present their views. Written submissions to council will be received until that date.
About 35 members of the public turned up at the legion to hear the presentation by developers Dale Weeks, representing Hills Point Holdings, and brothers Raymond and Gerald Disher of Disher Enterprises.
Some of those attending live in the condominiums which border Granville Park. Most of them are opposed to the rezoning and sale of the park. David Boyd, a spokesperson for the group, said residents will present a 10 minute video, entitled “The Case for Granville Park,” during the June 21 meeting in the hopes to persuade council from going ahead with the proposed rezoning.
One St. Stephen resident attending voiced her approval of the residential complex for seniors and joked with developers that she was picking out her apartment from the model they displayed.
Elaine Granville, the daughter-in-law of the late Stanley Granville for whom the park was named, said she is in favour of the proposed rezoning and development.
“I’m for it,” she said. “It’s a good idea. I hope I wind up there. It’s such a pretty setting.”
Weeks’ lengthy presentation touched on the history of Granville Park and the changes the property has undergone over the years since it was donated in 1902 to be used as a site to build the Chipman Memorial Hospital.
He said an act of the province’s Legislative Assembly deeded the property to the town in 1968. Fred Nicholson, town solicitor, told the meeting that the town was given clear title to the land without conditions on its use.
Weeks noted that he and the Dishers had made changes to their original proposal. They have incorporated public input gathered during a Planning Advisory Committee meeting last month. He said the locations of the building and the parking lot were changed to allow for maximum retention of green space.
The structure, if built, would be called Granville Park Place.
Gerald Disher told the meeting 40 per cent of the green space on the .8 hectare (2 acre) site would be retained. It would be maintained by them but would be open for use by the public.
The proposed apartment building would run perpendicular to Prince William Street with the green space between it and the existing condominiums.
Disher Enterprises has built one seniors’ residential complex in St. Stephen.
Disher said homes surrounding the proposed Granville Park development would not be devalued by the facility because people want to be close to their elderly parents and often sought to purchase homes in the area.
He said the apartment building would provide additional revenue to the town by increasing its tax base to the tune of about $60,000 per year.
Disher noted that there is a substantial waiting list for apartments in the existing St. Croix Retirement Community building. When there is a vacancy and that list is consulted, some seniors have been found to have moved out of town to available housing elsewhere.
Weeks said before embarking on the project, he and the Disher brothers held public meetings where seniors voiced their desire for more housing of this type in the communities of St. Stephen and St. Andrews. He said Stats Canada statistics supplied information illustrating a need for seniors housing in both municipalities.
They chose St. Stephen for their project because that appeared to be the community where the need was most urgent and where the town’s 2004 Municipal Plan showed a need for more housing to meet seniors’ demands and a rationalization on maintaining the number of community parks since some of them, Granville Park included, were being under utilized.
He said there must be a collaborative effort among residents to help the town grow.
Disher made a point during the presentation to tell council he and his fellow developers were not demanding anything. “We’re presenting our project,” he said, adding he hoped council listened carefully to the pros and cons.
“We want to make the project one the town would be proud of. We want to be good corporate citizens and provide a place where seniors can enjoy life and make new friends,” said Disher.
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