Council committee rethinks Workforce Housing request

Photo by Dan Jones.

By Cecilia Nasmith

Cobourg council's Public Works Planning and Development Committee has decided it is not in favour of donating land to a four-unit residential project as previously proposed by Northumberland Workforce Housing.

With at least one busload of workers transported into Cobourg each day for their jobs, NWH had previously tried to stress the importance of keeping the manufacturing sector more viable by ensuring these employees could afford housing near their jobs. To this end, they had proposed this project at the western end of the former Cobourg Memorial Arena property at 206 Furnace St.

At Wednesday's committee meeting, however, this item followed their refusal of a $10-million tax-and-development-charge waiver to a private developer, and it did not sit well with Lucas Cleveland to hold a private developer to a higher standard than a public body.

Committee Chair Miriam Mutton, who had worked on the municipal land inventory in the past, said public assets should not be given away too freely. While the cost of a vacant residential lot in Cobourg can range from $260,000 to $500,000, the NWH was asking for the property for $1.

At any rate, Mutton continued, “we don't have enough information before us at this time. There needs to be rezoning. Have the neighbours been consulted – not just residents but also the very active curling location. There are parking issues, snow storage issues.

“I can't support the request because I think that it really should be put up for a market sale.”

Cleveland asked for an amendment to the motion that would have proceeded with the transfer of the property for this project – to refer the request to a full session of council, “because if this committee decides not to recommend it, it's a dead issue. I think it needs to be discussed by the entire council,” he said.