City of Hamilton staff have not taken any steps toward last year’s city council direction to sell a surplus site of approximately 3.5-acres south of Wentworth Lodge, identified as a possible location for future seniors' affordable housing.
“We haven’t moved the process forward,” city housing director Edward John said at a Dundas Community Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 25.
He said staff are now looking for wider community feedback on a general plan to provide affordable housing for seniors on the site, this follows consultations that were done with the surrounding neighbourhood last year.
The vacant city-owned property behind the municipal long-term care centre, between Sherwood Place nonprofit seniors apartments on Lynden Avenue and Woodward Avenue, is part of two ongoing Hamilton projects.
The city’s land development task force identified the Dundas property almost two years ago as having potential to meet the group’s three goals: revenue generation; achieving strategic outcomes and creating new affordable housing. At that time, two McMaster University professors suggested that addressing the “greying” of the community could have the added impact of freeing up existing residential space for younger families.
Meanwhile, the city’s affordable housing site selection subcommittee identified the same site last year as one of 16 city properties to be declared surplus and sold, with the sale proceeds being used to support the creation of new affordable housing in Hamilton.
“Nothing cast in stone,” said city Coun. Arlene VanderBeek.
She said the property could end up being affordable housing for seniors operated by the city itself or a private operator, or sold to a private owner with the proceeds supporting affordable housing.
“A preferred use did come to the surface,” John said of consultations with neighbours who supported affordable housing for seniors, but he said they did raise some concerns.
Opening the road allowance at the end of Woodward Avenue and impacts on traffic on surrounding streets, lack of transit, flooding and environmental issues are among the concerns that still need to be investigated by city staff.
“They don’t want to see an institutional-like building, or height at that location,” John said.
Despite recommendations from two separate committees — and council-approved direction to sell the property, John said no final decisions have been made and all the work necessary to be completed before a sale could take place has not yet started. That work includes what real estate manager Ray Kessler described last year as “additional due diligence and report back requirements … prior to specific recommended disposition strategies being determined, approved and ultimately carried out.”
John said an earlier idea of severing some property for single-family homes in addition to affordable seniors housing would probably be too much development for the site.
He said the likely proposal would not need a rezoning, but would require variances to the existing major institutional zone.
McMaster University professors Jim Dunn and Richard Harris told the Dundas Star News after the first meeting that raised the likelihood of affordable housing for seniors on the vacant Dundas site, that creating new affordable space for seniors can have a wider impact on the community.
“You need to be able to provide attractive housing options for older people who might consider leaving the larger, detached single-family dwellings they have lived in for years, as these can accommodate families with children and also represent a huge source of underused housing that is arguably driving up housing prices,” said Dunn, of the department of health, aging and seniors.
He noted bringing in families with children potentially makes schools more viable.
Harris — from the school of geography with a specialty in housing issues — agreed, adding: “It would be good for everyone — and Dundas — to facilitate the movement of older residents out of their single-detached homes into retirement accommodation within their own community, freeing up homes for newer, younger residents.”
The property’s current zoning permits a variety of uses including multiple dwelling; residential care facility, long-term care facility, retirement home; social services establishment and lodging house. Depending on the specific use, building heights can range from 10.5 to 18 metres under the existing bylaw.
City of Hamilton staff have not taken any steps toward last year’s city council direction to sell a surplus site of approximately 3.5-acres south of Wentworth Lodge, identified as a possible location for future seniors' affordable housing.
“We haven’t moved the process forward,” city housing director Edward John said at a Dundas Community Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 25.
He said staff are now looking for wider community feedback on a general plan to provide affordable housing for seniors on the site, this follows consultations that were done with the surrounding neighbourhood last year.
The vacant city-owned property behind the municipal long-term care centre, between Sherwood Place nonprofit seniors apartments on Lynden Avenue and Woodward Avenue, is part of two ongoing Hamilton projects.
The city’s land development task force identified the Dundas property almost two years ago as having potential to meet the group’s three goals: revenue generation; achieving strategic outcomes and creating new affordable housing. At that time, two McMaster University professors suggested that addressing the “greying” of the community could have the added impact of freeing up existing residential space for younger families.
Meanwhile, the city’s affordable housing site selection subcommittee identified the same site last year as one of 16 city properties to be declared surplus and sold, with the sale proceeds being used to support the creation of new affordable housing in Hamilton.
“Nothing cast in stone,” said city Coun. Arlene VanderBeek.
She said the property could end up being affordable housing for seniors operated by the city itself or a private operator, or sold to a private owner with the proceeds supporting affordable housing.
“A preferred use did come to the surface,” John said of consultations with neighbours who supported affordable housing for seniors, but he said they did raise some concerns.
Opening the road allowance at the end of Woodward Avenue and impacts on traffic on surrounding streets, lack of transit, flooding and environmental issues are among the concerns that still need to be investigated by city staff.
“They don’t want to see an institutional-like building, or height at that location,” John said.
Despite recommendations from two separate committees — and council-approved direction to sell the property, John said no final decisions have been made and all the work necessary to be completed before a sale could take place has not yet started. That work includes what real estate manager Ray Kessler described last year as “additional due diligence and report back requirements … prior to specific recommended disposition strategies being determined, approved and ultimately carried out.”
John said an earlier idea of severing some property for single-family homes in addition to affordable seniors housing would probably be too much development for the site.
He said the likely proposal would not need a rezoning, but would require variances to the existing major institutional zone.
McMaster University professors Jim Dunn and Richard Harris told the Dundas Star News after the first meeting that raised the likelihood of affordable housing for seniors on the vacant Dundas site, that creating new affordable space for seniors can have a wider impact on the community.
“You need to be able to provide attractive housing options for older people who might consider leaving the larger, detached single-family dwellings they have lived in for years, as these can accommodate families with children and also represent a huge source of underused housing that is arguably driving up housing prices,” said Dunn, of the department of health, aging and seniors.
He noted bringing in families with children potentially makes schools more viable.
Harris — from the school of geography with a specialty in housing issues — agreed, adding: “It would be good for everyone — and Dundas — to facilitate the movement of older residents out of their single-detached homes into retirement accommodation within their own community, freeing up homes for newer, younger residents.”
The property’s current zoning permits a variety of uses including multiple dwelling; residential care facility, long-term care facility, retirement home; social services establishment and lodging house. Depending on the specific use, building heights can range from 10.5 to 18 metres under the existing bylaw.
City of Hamilton staff have not taken any steps toward last year’s city council direction to sell a surplus site of approximately 3.5-acres south of Wentworth Lodge, identified as a possible location for future seniors' affordable housing.
“We haven’t moved the process forward,” city housing director Edward John said at a Dundas Community Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 25.
He said staff are now looking for wider community feedback on a general plan to provide affordable housing for seniors on the site, this follows consultations that were done with the surrounding neighbourhood last year.
The vacant city-owned property behind the municipal long-term care centre, between Sherwood Place nonprofit seniors apartments on Lynden Avenue and Woodward Avenue, is part of two ongoing Hamilton projects.
The city’s land development task force identified the Dundas property almost two years ago as having potential to meet the group’s three goals: revenue generation; achieving strategic outcomes and creating new affordable housing. At that time, two McMaster University professors suggested that addressing the “greying” of the community could have the added impact of freeing up existing residential space for younger families.
Meanwhile, the city’s affordable housing site selection subcommittee identified the same site last year as one of 16 city properties to be declared surplus and sold, with the sale proceeds being used to support the creation of new affordable housing in Hamilton.
“Nothing cast in stone,” said city Coun. Arlene VanderBeek.
She said the property could end up being affordable housing for seniors operated by the city itself or a private operator, or sold to a private owner with the proceeds supporting affordable housing.
“A preferred use did come to the surface,” John said of consultations with neighbours who supported affordable housing for seniors, but he said they did raise some concerns.
Opening the road allowance at the end of Woodward Avenue and impacts on traffic on surrounding streets, lack of transit, flooding and environmental issues are among the concerns that still need to be investigated by city staff.
“They don’t want to see an institutional-like building, or height at that location,” John said.
Despite recommendations from two separate committees — and council-approved direction to sell the property, John said no final decisions have been made and all the work necessary to be completed before a sale could take place has not yet started. That work includes what real estate manager Ray Kessler described last year as “additional due diligence and report back requirements … prior to specific recommended disposition strategies being determined, approved and ultimately carried out.”
John said an earlier idea of severing some property for single-family homes in addition to affordable seniors housing would probably be too much development for the site.
He said the likely proposal would not need a rezoning, but would require variances to the existing major institutional zone.
McMaster University professors Jim Dunn and Richard Harris told the Dundas Star News after the first meeting that raised the likelihood of affordable housing for seniors on the vacant Dundas site, that creating new affordable space for seniors can have a wider impact on the community.
“You need to be able to provide attractive housing options for older people who might consider leaving the larger, detached single-family dwellings they have lived in for years, as these can accommodate families with children and also represent a huge source of underused housing that is arguably driving up housing prices,” said Dunn, of the department of health, aging and seniors.
He noted bringing in families with children potentially makes schools more viable.
Harris — from the school of geography with a specialty in housing issues — agreed, adding: “It would be good for everyone — and Dundas — to facilitate the movement of older residents out of their single-detached homes into retirement accommodation within their own community, freeing up homes for newer, younger residents.”
The property’s current zoning permits a variety of uses including multiple dwelling; residential care facility, long-term care facility, retirement home; social services establishment and lodging house. Depending on the specific use, building heights can range from 10.5 to 18 metres under the existing bylaw.