A proposed affordable housing project at the former Laurel-Lea St. Matthew's Presbyterian Church will not move forward following a lengthy discussion during Sarnia's council meeting on Monday.
The Inn of the Good Shepherd requested official plan and rezoning bylaw amendments to build a six-storey apartment tower and a townhouse block on Exmouth Street and Melrose Avenue.
While the site location is currently utilized during certain hours as an emergency shelter, Inn Executive Director Myles Vanni stated multiple times that the proposed project would not be used as supportive housing.
"This project is geared to the demographic of low income, working poor, seniors, and those on disability pensions," said Vanni.
He also said about 95 per cent of the people the Inn supports are those who work two or three part-time jobs just to make ends meet.
"That's the vast majority of the population we're serving, and that's who we're addressing the affordability of housing to," he said.
Vanni said it's a "significant" challenge to find locations appropriate for affordable housing developments.
"We were blessed when the church came forward and offered the property to us," Vanni said. "It really is a prime location in terms of walking access to grocery stores, to banks, to community centres. It really is an opportune location."
Some council members said they had received emails from residents who were concerned about the proposed development.
Local resident Tony Gioiosa spoke at Monday's meeting on behalf of the Melrose Community Group.
He recently spoke at a Lambton County Council meeting voicing health and safety concerns related to the emergency shelter and again voiced multiple concerns regarding this latest proposed project.
"We are of the opinion that our problems will only be compounded by the increased number of individuals as residents will be brought in throughout Lambton County to live here. We feel as though we are being misled by the applicant as to the actual intended use," Gioiosa said. "Having now had the opportunity to voice our objections, we want to acknowledge, there is a need for true, affordable housing. We would have appreciated learning what other sites were being considered before ours was chosen."
Local residents in the surrounding area presented a petition to council with 258 signatures in opposition to the project.
Councillors Bill Dennis, Terry Burrell, and Anne Marie Gillis empathized with those who live and work in the area of Exmouth Street and Melrose Avenue.
"What we're doing to neighbourhoods is not right," said Dennis.
Burrell said he considered the area to be overdeveloped and noted that moving forward with the proposal would be "insensitive" to the neighbours.
"I think we're antagonizing the neighbourhood unnecessarily, and I don't think it's good for our community to do this kind of thing at this time," Burrell said.
Gillis suggested a "coming of the minds" between the neighbourhood and those developing affordable housing. "Affordable housing, you're absolutely right, is needed. The actual intent looks very good, but because there is such mistrust in the neighbourhood, it's going to have a very difficult time being accepted at this time," Gillis said.
As noted in the meeting, the hope for this proposed project was to have shovels in the ground in about a year.
"I just think it's premature, and there's a lot more work that needs to be done before it will be accepted into what we all hope it will be," Gillis said.
Gillis and Burrell also criticized the small number of parking spaces included in the application, even though city staff mentioned that many affordable housing residents typically don't have access to a vehicle and there is public transit in the area.
In a majority vote, the application failed.
Those opposed to the application included Councillors Dennis, Burrell, Gillis, Chrissy McRoberts, and George Vandenberg.