St. John’s councillors plan to change zoning rules to help The HUB assist with the housing crisis.
A fixture for decades on Merrymeeting Road, The HUB, or Physically Disabled Service Centre, has applied to convert some of its office space into seven bedsitting rooms.
The area would include seven bedrooms with a common area and shared bathroom, as well as laundry and a kitchen.
But that would classify it as a lodging house, which is neither a permitted nor discretionary use in the residential/commercial zone.
That, however, won’t stop the city from approving the much-needed units, while tipping its cap to The HUB and its longtime executive director.
(Image via Google Maps.)
“This is a good redevelopment by an organization that offers supports and programs,” Coun. Ron Ellsworth told yesterday’s committee of the whole meeting.
“Tom Badcock and The HUB are well known in the city for all their advocacy work in the community. To add seven units here, with supports on site, is very beneficial to a spectrum of housing that we’re trying to assist and open up here in the city.”
The HUB has been a registered charity for almost 50 years, and has become one of the largest printing and catering operations in the province.
Its housing application must still be approved by a vote of the entire city council.
But the accommodations for new housing in St. John’s don’t end there.
A second, much larger application is before council to develop the former I.J. Samson school land on Bennett Avenue.
It calls for three apartment buildings and one “four-plex,” or four-unit building, with 50 apartments in total.
It, like many others, will need rezoning, and an amendment to the municipal plan, which requires provincial approval.
The city is waiving a full land use report in favour of one from staff, and will notify residents in lieu of a public meeting, all in an effort to address the housing crisis.
Maggie Burton
There’s also a move to involve council sooner, Maggie Burton told yesterday’s committee of the whole meeting, “Under a new process, our planning staff are bringing rezoning applications to council at an early stage, which allows for more back and forth with the developer, more discussions with the community, there’s a lot of benefits to this.”
Like The HUB, the project must still go before a full vote of city council.
