The Town of Tecumseh will not allow fourplexes to be built in established neighbourhoods.
At its meeting Tuesday night, councillors voted 4-3 to reject a plan, introduced by Councillor Alicia Higgison, that would have permitted up to three additional housing units on properties with a minimum 18-metre frontage, and a minimum of 35 per cent of the lot area as landscaped open space.
Mayor Gary McNamara, Higgison, and Councillor Brian Houston voted in favour, with Councillors James Dorner, Rico Tonial, Tania Jobin, and Deputy Mayor Joe Bachetti voting against it.
Provincewide, up to two additional housing units are allowed on a primary property.
Proponents of the plan believed that it was necessary to address an affordable housing shortage, while opponents were worried that the plan would alter the Town's character.
A public meeting was held last month on the issue with four options discussed, and residents had raised concerns over "Options B" and "C". Both would have allowed fourplexes on all lots, but one option included a requirement of 30 per cent landscaped open space. The other option would have included the minimum 18-metre frontage.
A so-called "Option E" came out of the public comment, and that was before councillors on Tuesday.
Last spring, the Town received $4.4 million in funding from the federal government's Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF). As part of the grant approval, the town agreed to allow fourplexes "as of right" in all residentially zoned properties. Of that funding, $3.2-million was tied to the allowance of fourplexes.
The rejection of the fourplex plan may put that $3.2-million at risk. The Town will now contact the Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC) to inform it of council's decision, and await a response.
The remainder of the HAF funding is meant to offset the waiving of development charges for building permits, as well as the purchase of software for e-processing of planning applications.
-with files from Maureen Revait
