Plan would see 324 apartments built near downtown Sudbury

The planning committee for Greater Sudbury will decide next week on a proposal to build three apartment buildings near the downtown on Fieldstone Drive.

Next week, the planning committee in Greater Sudbury will decide on a proposal to build three apartment buildings near downtown Sudbury.

The staff report recommends approving the 324-unit plan, but there is considerable opposition from residents near the Fieldstone Drive site, located near Sunrise Ridge Drive.

The plan calls for 108 units in each nine-story building, requiring the land to be rezoned from low to high density. And 108 of the apartments would be designated as affordable housing units.

“If approved, staff estimates approximately $1,400,000 in taxation revenue, based on the assumption of 324 multiple dwelling units based on an estimated assessed value of $275,000 at the 2024 property tax rates,” the report said.

“The lands are accessed at the easterly termini of North Field Crescent, Fieldstone Drive, and Kingsview Drive in the community of Sudbury. All three roads are built to a local municipal standard with a sidewalk along the north side of North Field Crescent. The parcel is fully serviced by municipal water and wastewater along all three roads.”

The plan supports Ontario’s efforts to build a total of 1.5 million homes by 2031 and there were no objections from city departments and agencies such as roads, transition and Conservation Sudbury.

“Development engineering does not object to the application and note that there is sufficient capacity in both the municipal water and wastewater systems to accommodate the proposed development,” the report said.

“The development does not impact the Ramsey Lake Watershed and there are no significant threats to drinking water sources at this time ... There was no opposition to the proposed rezoning identified by any circulated department or agency.”

In addition, the new apartments would help the city deal with its low vacancy rate of 1.4 per cent, considerably lower than the provincial average of 2.7 per cent.

To achieve a “healthy” vacancy rate of five per cent, the city needs to add “470 purpose-built rental units, plus 235 additional units per year, for the next 30 years,” the report said.

However, the area is currently dominated by single-family homes and represents a considerable change in the nature of the housing in the area.

The city has received a total of 60 letters and a petition from residents opposed the development.

Considerable opposition

The petition says the apartments will create “exponentially increased unsafe traffic in a neighbourhood with only a one-way road.”

It would stress water pressure, overburden the sewage system, create drainage issues, threaten species at risk and is inconsistent with planning policies.

In addition to the petition, many homeowners on Sunrise Ridge are also objecting, saying they moved there for “a bit of exclusivity being in a nice single-family units neighbourhood,” one person said.

“If you own a house in a nice neighbourhood, imagine a nine-story building in your backyard. From blasting to construction to people staring at you and your family and kids from their balcony. Daily. Forever.”

“Going from an additional 66 residential homes to 324 units will dramatically increase noise pollution in the area,” another person said.

“How will three, nine-story buildings affect the falcons that perch on our fence every summer? How will three, nine-story buildings affect the spring hawks hunting in the open field?”

A vote on the proposal will take place at the committee meeting Feb. 3, which begins at 1 p.m. All documents related to the plan, and access to the livestream of the meeting, can be found here.