375 Waterford Bridge Road

Thank you for your question. We do not have any affordable housing projects planned for Waterford Bridge Rd or Forest Rd, only potential development which may proceed following consultation. The City is limited by the number of properties we own, the cost to develop, and the potential impact, among other factors, in determining where affordable housing can be developed. With any construction, we will continue to be mindful of environmental concerns. For example, if development does proceed on Waterford Bridge Rd, due to constraints at the site it would likely be on a portion of the property to minimize impact to the natural environment.

Once our engagement period has closed for Affordable Housing, we will develop a “What We Heard” document for Council to consider before determining if a project should proceed on these sites. We will ensure your feedback is incorporated in our report to Council.

Thank you for your question. There is currently no planned project on this site.  As part of our Engagement process we would like to hear stakeholder ideas about what you would like to see if this parcel were developed as affordable housing including the types of housing that would work here. Feel free to leave your ideas in the ideas tool. Of note, this parcel is currently zoned open space so any potential residential development would require a rezoning approval to proceed. This is a lengthy process, which involves many Council decisions and further engagement with residents in the area. In addition, potential development of this site does not mean the entire site would need to be developed - it could be limited to a portion of the parcel of land. 

We appreciate your taking the time to provide input. Once our engagement period has closed, we will develop a “What We Heard” document for Council to consider before determining if an affordable housing project should be considered at this and other identified sites.

Thank you for your question. The City is limited by the number of properties we own, the cost to develop, and the potential impact, among other factors, in determining where affordable housing can be developed. A goal of our Affordable Housing Strategy is to identify City-owned vacant land and buildings and evaluate the inventory for potential redevelopment as affordable housing. Identifying land for potential redevelopment as affordable housing involves many City divisions including Housing, Legal, Planning & Development, Engineering, Parks and Open Spaces, etc. After internal review of several parcels of land, many sites were ruled out for various reasons, and four sites were identified for potential redevelopment as affordable housing (245 Forest Rd, 375 Waterford Bridge Road, 80-90 Empire Avenue and 28 Eric Street). We did not intentionally target green spaces, however, once other sites were ruled out, we were left with limited options. Should City-owned buildings become vacant, we would also evaluate their potential for redevelopment as affordable housing.

There is a planned project on 28 Eric Street but no planned projects on the other three sites. Engagement is currently taking place for 245 Forest Rd and 375 Waterford Bridge Rd. We plan to complete a similar engagement opportunity in the fall for 80-90 Empire Avenue. The purpose of our engagement is to better understand how stakeholders use this land and their concerns about a potential development on this site. We’d also like to hear stakeholder ideas about what they’d like to see if the parcel were developed as affordable housing. We appreciate you taking the time to provide your input. Once our engagement period has closed, we will develop a “What We Heard” document for Council to consider before determining if an affordable housing project should be considered on any of these sites.

Thank you for your question. The City is limited by the number of properties we own, the cost to develop, and the potential impact, among other factors, in determining where affordable housing can be developed. A goal of our Affordable Housing Strategy is to identify City-owned vacant land and buildings and evaluate the inventory for potential redevelopment as affordable housing. Identifying land for potential redevelopment as affordable housing involves many City divisions including Housing, Legal, Planning & Development, Engineering, Parks and Open Spaces, etc. After internal review of several parcels of land, many sites were ruled out for various reasons, and four sites were identified for potential redevelopment as affordable housing (245 Forest Rd, 375 Waterford Bridge Road, 80-90 Empire Avenue and 28 Eric Street). We did not intentionally target green spaces, however, once other sites were ruled out, we were left with limited options. Should City-owned buildings become vacant, we would also evaluate their potential for redevelopment as affordable housing.

There is a planned project on 28 Eric Street but no planned projects on the other three sites. Engagement is currently taking place for 245 Forest Rd and 375 Waterford Bridge Rd. We plan to complete a similar engagement opportunity in the fall for 80-90 Empire Avenue. The purpose of our engagement is to better understand how stakeholders use this land and their concerns about a potential development on this site. We’d also like to hear stakeholder ideas about what they’d like to see if the parcel were developed as affordable housing. We appreciate you taking the time to provide your input. Once our engagement period has closed, we will develop a “What We Heard” document for Council to consider before determining if an affordable housing project should be considered on any of these sites.