Off the table CMHA-Kings steps back from Allen’s Motel purchase offer
The Canadian Mental Health Association – Kings County Branch is taking a step back from the affordable housing project the organization had proposed for the Allen’s Motel property in Kentville.
CMHA-Kings circulated a press release March 22 to announce that the agreement of purchase and sale the organization established with Allen’s Motel Limited on Jan. 5 had been terminated.
“The purchase of the Allen’s Motel has always been a conditional offer based on the rezoning of the property and land use abilities. To meet the need of single unit housing as proposed in our concept, the property will need rezoning to host a multi-unit residential building. We realized the (Town of Kentville’s) rezoning process would not be completed before the start of the tourist season in Nova Scotia and holding the motel owners to the agreement meant a potential loss of income The Canadian Mental Health Association – Kings County Branch recently announced that the conditional offer to purchase the Allen’s Motel property is now off the table. for them. In addition, a lengthy rezoning process, tagged with an uncertain outcome, is a financial risk to our organization,” Marilyn Hebb, chairwoman of the CMHA Affordable Housing Committee, said in the release.
The board of directors over- seeing CMHA-Kings decided both parties involved in the potential sale would benefit from the decision to “release the owners of Allen’s Motel from the obligation to hold the property any longer,” the announcement reads.
The press release notes that CMHA-Kings is still dedicated to affordable housing, but the development could be located in town or elsewhere in Kings County.
“The board has affordable housing development money available and before the fall of this year, will spend it in Kentville or in the nearby county area,” the release states.
The release concludes by stressing that the feedback gathered from a well-attended community meeting CMHA-Kings hosted regarding the Allen’s Motel project March 2 will be thoroughly considered as they move forward with affordable housing initiatives in the future.