Questions remain over how Tecumseh will handle fourplexes

Ahead of the regular council meeting Tuesday night, Tecumseh council welcomed residents for an open meeting surrounding the Housing Accelerator Fund.

Potential plans to pave the way for four housing units on a single lot in Tecumseh received fierce pushback from town residents on Tuesday night.

More than 50 people attended a public meeting intended to discuss housing initiatives.

The majority of the focus lied on initiative one, which asked council, “to consider permitting three ARUs on existing and new single unit detached lots (resulting in a total of four residential units).”

Residents one-by-one walked up to the microphone to voice concerns over how the proposal would negatively impact their residences, Tecumseh’s culture and other aspects of the town.

Tamra and Tony Teno, who have lived in the town for more than 60 years, warned the permitting of three additional residential units on a lot, would “destroy” the character of the community.

“Crowding in all these units, increasing traffic, eliminating greenspace and getting rid of greenspace will definitely change things,” Tamra told town council.

She spoke against the creation of fourplexes in rural areas, saying they belong on arterial roadways.

“It’s a stupid idea, you’re being bribed by the government, and you shouldn’t follow it, we’re a little town we deserve better,” Tamra added.

Requirements for municipalities to permit fourplexes as-of-right became a condition of funding from the federal government’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF).

In March 2024, the federal government approved Tecumseh’s HAF request for $4.4 million to expedite the construction of 137 housing units over three years.

Mark, a Tecumseh resident, voiced concerns about how the town will address parking with the added units.

He noted, if each unit has two cars, the property could be responsible for as many as 16 vehicles.

Of the more than 10 residents who rose to speak, none voiced support for the concept of fourplexes.

“Where is this groundswell of opinion to build four units on an 80-foot lot,” Mark asked.

A “Tecumseh-made solution” outlined in an external report proposed requirements including lot coverage limitations, one additional parking space per ARU, and restricting ARUs from front yards.

The report stated a new single-detached home in Tecumseh in 2021 cost on-average $1,265,000. In that same year, more than 30 per cent of renter households in the town paid over 30 per cent of their income on housing.

Council did not debate the matter or make a decision on the matter of fourplexes.

After the meeting, Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara told CTV News council has the responsibility to make decision for the “greater good.”

“The reality is that decisions we make sometimes are tough decisions, they’re really tough, but its for the greater good of the community,” McNamara said. “Its not like you can say I’m just going to put them wherever and however we’re not going to do that because it doesn’t make any sense, so you’ve go to make sure you can sustain it and support it as you move forward, and a lot of the housing we’re talking about, this is not going to happen overnight, this is five, 10, 15 years down the road.”

When asked when a decision will be made, McNamara said her hopes council will cast their votes sooner rather than later.