After more than seven years in the making, a public/private initiative to create affordable housing on a property on Sabrina Park Drive has not gone the way the Town of Huntsville had hoped.
Today, remnants of the project remain in the form of unfinished townhouses along the road and a large for sale sign.
The estimated 2.5-hectare property was once owned by the municipality. In 2017, spearheaded by then-Mayor Scott Aitchison, the Town agreed to donate the lands in exchange for a mixed housing project that would create more affordable housing in the community. Following a Request for Proposals, the municipality entered into a partnership with Craig Developments to develop the property.
In November 2018, council was asked to approve the severance of eight townhouse lots from the land. However, the request did not sit well with some councillors, who were uneasy about approving the severance and questioned what protections were in place to safeguard the municipality’s investment if the project failed.
Through the years, many amendments and extensions to the project followed, including delays due to the COVID pandemic and other issues.
Plans for a mixed housing project continue with 204 units proposed for Sabrina Park Drive
More parking and lower density—Council approves an amended Sabrina Park housing development
In 2022, the project was given preliminary site plan approval. It would consist of 16 townhouses (eight separate townhouse parcels fronting on Sabrina Park Drive) and 147 dwelling units to be located in five separate three-storey buildings.
Since then, discussions surrounding the project have been mostly held in closed session.
Doppler has reached out to the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Town of Huntsville CAO for comment on the state of the site, which area residents refer to as an unsightly abandoned mess.
Huntsville CAO Denise Corry said discussions surrounding the matter did take place behind closed doors, which she could not divulge. She said that while the lands are no longer owned by the municipality, the Town is still very much involved in the project. “There is an agreement registered on title that is a legal binding document that states what has to occur on that property.”
Corry said the municipality looks forward to working with the new owner when the property is sold. “I know council would certainly continue on with the intent of the agreement that was made with the previous owner to ensure the integrity of that agreement is maintained,” she added.
“I think for us, the intent of the affordable housing was clearly outlined in the agreement, and there was progress that was being made. There was a transfer of ownership from the original owner of the property so Craig Developments sold to another individual, and we worked really closely with that individual to bring that development to fruition and for unknown reasons on their part, they decided that they were going to sell the property… and so now they’re looking for a new owner of the property,” she said, reiterating that there is an agreement registered on the title of the property which protects what the property was intended for.
Huntsville Deputy Mayor Dan Armour said council is expected to get a report on the issue, which will probably be delivered in a closed session. “It’s outside of my control. If I had a magic wand, it would be built tomorrow,” he said. “There’s always lessons learned, and you go ahead with a new perspective and more cautious probably at the end of the day. At the time, everything looked great, and sometimes things turn. We’re working through it as best we can.”
Armour said there is a lot of information that was discussed in closed session but said the municipality would make what happened public at some point, “because people have a right to know.”
Huntsville Mayor Nancy Alcock said the Town is not giving up. “The agreement does allow for the sale of the property and, as Denise [Corry] pointed out, the Town’s interests are protected and we look forward to working with the new owner and ensuring that basically the intent of the original agreement still stands and that we can work with them.”
Alcock said there are other affordable housing developments currently in the works and reiterated that the municipality is not giving up on the vision for the lands on Sabrina Park Drive.
“We want to be as transparent as possible around this because it was, to your point, one of our first partnership arrangements, and so we will continue to get to that point,” she added.
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this town needs affordable housing now !! is this going to be another river mill washroom fiasco?? Every other housing project on the go or recently completed has issues what is going on ?? we need the town to be transparent for once. I should just keep my mouth shut, but every time I look out my window to the East I see the blight on Forbes drive. This is another fiasco in the making and my blood pressure goes up
Sounds like the work of our council. Its funny how pther places and condos and subdivisions have gone up in the last 2 years but this project, desperately needed is on hold.
Closed door sessions means staff making 6 figures (relying on paid consultants) and council know they totally botched the process and most importantly the contracts.
Why hide information from the taxpayers if not?
You’d think when you get raises at 7% a year and are already paid well over average competing private sector salary you would not rely on consultants and would be competent ?
The only question needing answer at the moment is how much are the tax payers of the hook for ?
In November 2018, council was asked to approve the severance of eight townhouse lots from the land. However, the request did not sit well with some councillors, who were uneasy about approving the severance and questioned what protections were in place to safeguard the municipality’s investment if the project failed.
Might have been wise to have listened Mayor Alcock!
Money well wasted.