Project gets affordable housing designation

ECE Living Ltd. could get $1.5 million to build eight units at 461 Paterson St.

A developer who’s proposing to build eight affordable apartments in a new building in Peterborough may receive $1.5 million in federal and provincial funding and waived municipal fees.

The local firm ECE Living Ltd., which already operates a six-unit affordable apartment building for seniors in the city, is proposing to build an eight-unit building on vacant land Paterson Street.

The property is located at 461 Paterson St., which is off Park Place, in a residential neighbourhood.

Councillors gave preliminary approval at a committee meeting Monday night to waive municipal fees and taxes on the project in the amount of $477,000 and to officially designate it an affordable housing facility.

That makes the project eligible for up to $1,080,000 in newly available money from the provincial and federal governments.

A new city staff report explains that the provincial government allocates money every year for affordable housing projects across Ontario — but it all must be spent by the end of the fiscal year on March 31.

If allocated funding goes unspent in any municipality at this time of year, the report explains, it gets redistributed to other cities that have “shovel-ready” projects.

The Paterson Street project fits the bill: more than a year ago the property-owner applied for a rezoning and proposed to council its plan for eight apartments in a two-storey brick building.

The apartments will each have one bedroom; the city staff report states that one-bedroom units are now in high demand in Peterborough.

The landlord will be required to charge no more than 80 per cent of market rent, which is $680 per month, the report states.

A ratification vote is expected at a forthcoming meeting of city council.

Also on councillors’ agenda Monday night:

PRHC presentation

Councillors heard a presentation from PRHC board chair Adair Ireland-Smith and from president and CEO Dr. Peter McLaughlin.

PRHC has one of the busiest emergency departments in the province, they said.

It is expecting 90,000 visits this year, up from 87,000 last year and 83,000 the year before.

When asked whether that increase in ER visits has anything to do with the opioid crisis or the lack of family doctors, McLaughlin said yes — but the increase likely has far more to do with the fact that Peterborough’s population is both growing and aging.

Visitors to the ER are urgently sick and must be seen right away in a hospital, he said.

Ireland-Smith also told council members there’s a new walk-in mental health clinic to open at PRHC this spring for children and youth.

Citizen appointments

Councillors approved the appointments of 52 citizens to various boards and committees in the city.

Councillors also approved the appointment of Louis O’Brien to the City of Peterborough Holdings Inc. board (until Dec. 31, 2021), and the reappointment of Scott Baker to the same board (until Dec. 31, 2019).

They approved the reappointment of Bryan Weir to the Peterborough Distribution Inc. (PDI) board with a term ending Dec. 31, 2020 (or until such a time that the PDI business is sold, states the city staff report — PDI is planned for sale to Hydro One, with a deal to be reached perhaps sometime this year).