The Blue Mountains has a new attainable housing project proposed for Clarksburg thanks to its community improvement plan grant program.
At its committee of the whole meeting on June 27, council approved a report from town staff that recommended the approval of 10 projects through the community improvement plan worth $150,243.34. One project in Clarksburg includes an attainable housing component.
A community improvement plan is a planning and economic development tool that municipalities may use to facilitate broad community revitalization goals through grants or loans to private property owners and tenants.
“This is a great news story,” said Tim Hendry, the town’s manager of communications and economic development.
Nine of the ten projects approved on June 27 were general construction, repairs and improvements to the facades/buildings of downtown business properties.
The one remaining project is in Clarksburg and would see $2.2 million spent developing a building at 178 Marsh Street into 10 apartment units and two commercial units. The developer has reserved two of the apartments for attainable housing. Through the community improvement plan program this project will receive $76,990.60 to cover feasibility studies, town and county development charges for the two attainable units, municipal fees for the site plan review and building permit and landscaping of the site.
“That’s a very exciting project. That’s our big project for this year,” said Rachael Havens, the town’s communications coordinator for planning and development services.
Havens said through the CIP program, the developer will sign an agreement with the town to keep the two units attainable for 10 years. The attainable rent rate, based on Canadian Census information, has been calculated at $1,040 per month.
“It is a ten-year commitment,” said Havens.
The ten approved projects and the grants received include:
1. 33 Bruce Street, Thornbury (Marion Erskine, Marion’s Hair Studio) $14,865.34
2. 190 Russell Street, Thornbury (Melissa Goldmintz, Lemonade Collective) $9,322.50
3. 6 Bruce Street North, Thornbury (Rheanna Kish, Pom Pom) $1,951.03
4. 54 King Street East, Thornbury and 23 Napier Street East, Thornbury (Carolyn Letourneau, Beaver Valley Outreach) $1,396.36
5. 69 King Street, Thornbury (Grant Campbell, The Lillypad Day Spa) $11,337.51
6. 37 Bruce Street South, Thornbury (Jane Grahek) $10,000.00
7. 28 Bruce Street South, Thornbury (Michael Hebbert, Bonkers) $9,846.50
8. 41a Bruce Street South, Thornbury (Sabine Abt) $10,000.00
9. 13/15 Bruce Street South, Thornbury (Anne Wildeman, Birch & Benjamin) $4,533.50
10. 178 Marsh Street, Clarksburg (Andrew von Teichman) $76,990.60
Staff told council the town received a total of 14 applications for the community improvement plan and ten were deemed complete and worthy of approval. The community’s interest in the program was so strong that staff are considering a recommendation to do a second intake for applications in the fall.
The town has a total of 18 community improvement programs in place through two streams, including a housing stream and a town-wide revitalization stream.
The programs are:
Housing
- Attainable housing feasibility grant
- Development charges grant equivalent program
- Tax increment equivalent program
- Municipal fees grant or loan equivalent program
- Downtown apartment rehabilitation or conversion program
- Additional residential unit program
- Surplus land grant program
- Landbanking policy
Revitalization
- Study and design grant program
- Building façade and signage grant program
- Building improvement and renovation program
- Tax increment equivalent program
- Brownfield tax assistance program
- Municipal fees grant equivalent program
- Property enhancement and improvement program
- Energy efficient improvement program
- Vacant building conversion or expansion program
- Destination infrastructure grant.
Members of council were thrilled with the results of the program.
“This is absolutely fantastic,” said Coun. June Porter.
Coun. Gail Ardiel said the town grants to assist with business improvements will make a real difference for the property owners.
“It’s very exciting when people get funding,” she said. “Having this fund here is wonderful. This is what the town has been looking for for a long time.”
Mayor Andrea Matrosovs said the success of the program is “wonderful” and said she was pleased to see the community improvement plan program act as a catalyst for “exciting and diverse projects.”
Coun. Paula Hope noted that money remained in the community improvement plan budget (the total budget approved by council was $250,000 - $150,000 from the CIP reserve and $100,000 in grants from Grey County) and asked if staff had an idea of the timing for another intake for the program.
“There is more money in the kitty,” said Hope.
Adam Smith the town’s director of planning and development services said staff would be completing a survey about the program and the application process and have been having dialogue about another intake. He said the survey would assist staff in determining the level of interest in another intake for the program this year.
“Is there enough interest to accelerate the second intake?” said Smith. “We like to be nimble to capitalize on these opportunities when they arise.”
