Blue Mountain Resort is requesting The Town of The Blue Mountains take steps to accelerate the approval of its proposed staff housing development.
Dan Skelton, the resort’s president and chief operating officer, was a delegation at council’s meeting on Nov. 20. In his presentation Skelton requested the town make an application to the province’s Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator (CIHA) program in order to expedite the approval process for its plan to build a five-storey staff housing development on property it owns near the Village at Blue.
Earlier this year the resort presented preliminary plans to build a large staff housing facility on land it owns at the base of the mountain on Scenic Caves Road. If approved, the project would be capable of accommodating 301 employees.
The resort is now in the process of completing a formal planning application to the town for the proposal and requested the town make a CIHA application once the project’s application is complete.
Skelton’s presentation generated significant public interest and the gallery in the council chambers was full of neighbouring residents. Two local residents expressed concerns about Skelton’s presentation during the public comments portion of the meeting.
Skelton told council the resort is now 90 per cent staffed for the coming winter, but remains short about 250 employees. The resort manages 270 beds for staff accommodation, of which just nine are left available.
“We need certainty around staff housing,” he said, noting that his goal would be to see the staff housing building open by winter of 2026.
Councillors Paula Hope and June Porter asked Skelton how the resort would deal with public concerns about the project.
“There is some real concern about the location of the building,” said Hope.
Porter said part of the CIHA process is demonstrating community support and awareness of the project. She said she has a genuine concern that the provincial response to a CIHA application could be: “we’re not seeing public support.”
Skelton said the resort held a public open house for local residents after the concept was first unveiled, but said they had not done much outreach since then. He said they want to work with neighbours to address any concerns.
“There is no doubt this is going to be impactful, for one street in particular,” he said.
Coun. Alex Maxwell asked staff how a CIHA application would differ from the traditional planning route and what the timeline might be.
Adam Smith, director of planning and development services, said, at this time, it would be difficult to determine a timeline for when a CIHA application would be approved by the province. He also said that a CIHA approval from the provincial government would eliminate the possibility of the matter being appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal.
Council ultimately voted unanimously in favour of a resolution to request a staff report that would compare the CIHA process to the traditional planning process. In addition, the resolution encouraged the resort to reach out and consult neighbouring residents about the plan.
