Manitoba Municipal Board sides with Granite Curling Club over parking

Manitoba’s Municipal Board has sided with Granite Curling Club over a parking spat with the city. Jeff Keele explains.

The Granite Curling Club has secured a victory in its parking dispute with the City of Winnipeg.

However, there are concerns this puts the future of an affordable housing project in question.

The Granite challenged the city’s plan to subdivide the property for an 11-storey, 110-unit building on a west parking lot used by the club.

The municipal board determined the city must first develop an adequate parking plan to support the operations of the club.

“The board stresses that the use of the word “adequate” in recommendation No. 4 means a parking plan that is reasonable and negotiated in good faith by the city and the GCC,” states the board.

The curling club’s secretary, Christian Pierce, says they are pleased with the decision.

“It provides us assurance that they do have to work with us in good faith,” said Pierce

He says the 45 parking spots, which would be lost, are crucial to their existence.

“To lose over half our parking would definitely result in lost revenue, potentially the closure of the club,” Pierce said.

But Evan Duncan, the city’s property committee chair, says the decision is disappointing.

“Apparently parking spots are more important than housing people,” said Duncan.

Duncan says the decision is an overstep and worries this could put the housing project in jeopardy.

“The condition specifically to essentially give the veto card to the Granite Curling Club may put this project at serious risk whether council approves it or not.”

While the municipal board decision is final, Duncan stresses the city leases the entire property to the Granite Curling Club.

“The ironic part is that they are the lessee, and the City of Winnipeg holds that lease, so the answer is yes, things can change to motivate people,” said Duncan.

“If there’s thinly veiled threats that they’re going to do something to our current lease, I would ask the councillor to maybe take a different perspective on that,” said Pierce.

Duncan also has concerns the ruling sets a dangerous precedent when the city deals with lease agreements for city properties.

In the decision, the municipal board disputed that notion.

“The relationship between the City and the GCC, as stewards of a beloved heritage asset, is unique,” states the board.