Allowing an addition to an existing commercial/apartment building in Belleville’s Downtown District was anything but a slam-dunk decision Monday for Belleville council.
At issue was a planning committee recommendation to allow a three-storey sixplex to be added to the rear
of the building at 317 Front Street without mandating the usual number of new parking spaces to accomodate the new tenants.
of the building at 317 Front Street without mandating the usual number of new parking spaces to accomodate the new tenants.
The lack of parking, especially residential, in the downtown is a long-standing issue, and four of nine members of council thought allowing the addition was a big mistake.
However, five members believed, as did Councillor Lisa Anne Chatten, that making a dent in the housing shortage trumped the parking issue.
“We have a homelessness problem, we have a home acquisition problem, we have students that are coming in that don’t have vehicles and just want a place to be able to go back to. We are negating an entire demographic.”
The property owner will pay over $32,000 to the city to be put into a parking reserve fund in lieu of providing parking spots.
Council members voting in favour of allowing the addition were councillors Enright-Miller , Carr, Kelly, Chatten, and Mayor Ellis.
