Sudbury city council OKs plan to build 324 apartments

Concerned citizens continue to speak out against a proposal in Sudbury to build three new apartment buildings near downtown.

Meeting Tuesday evening, city council in Greater Sudbury easily approved plans to build 324 apartments in three buildings on Sunrise Ridge in the city.

Already approved at a planning committee meeting earlier this month by a 3-2 vote, the proposal got an easier time Tuesday, passing by 9-3. Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann, Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc and Ward 7 Coun. Natalie Labee were the only votes against.

A staff report recommended approving plan, but there was considerable opposition from residents near the Fieldstone Drive location.

There will be 108 units in each nine-story building, which required the land to be rezoned from low to high density. A total of 108 of the apartments would be designated as affordable housing units.

“If approved, staff estimates approximately $1,400,000 in taxation revenue, based on the assumption of 324 multiple dwelling units based on an estimated assessed value of $275,000 at the 2024 property tax rates,” the report said.

Serviced by municipal water

“The lands are accessed at the easterly termini of North Field Crescent, Fieldstone Drive, and Kingsview Drive in the community of Sudbury. All three roads are built to a local municipal standard with a sidewalk along the north side of North Field Crescent. The parcel is fully serviced by municipal water and wastewater along all three roads.”

The plan supports Ontario’s efforts to build a total of 1.5 million homes by 2031 and there were no objections from city departments and agencies such as roads, transition and Conservation Sudbury.

“Development engineering does not object to the application and note that there is sufficient capacity in both the municipal water and wastewater systems to accommodate the proposed development,” the report said.

“The development does not impact the Ramsey Lake Watershed and there are no significant threats to drinking water sources at this time ... There was no opposition to the proposed rezoning identified by any circulated department or agency.”

In addition, the new apartments would help the city deal with its low vacancy rate of 1.4 per cent, considerably lower than the provincial average of 2.7 per cent.

However, a total of 60 letters and a petition received as part of the consultation process strongly opposed the development. Many spoke against the plan at a five-hour planning committee meeting Feb. 3.