Fredericton council delays moving controversial development forward without more details
The development would allow 870 new housing units in the Golf Club Road neighbourhood
Instead council asked staff for more information about the project proposed by Cedar Valley Investments for land abutting Golf Club Road and Prospect Street.
"I have a lot of questions," Coun. Jason LeJeune said after council heard from more than a dozen people, most opposed to the proposal to build 870 homes on the former farmland.
"I need a lot more detail to contemplate. And I feel like I need more time."
Dave
McKay, the architectural lead on the project, said low-rise townhouses,
tree lines and parks will act as buffers to the new low-density housing
and the existing residential neighborhood. (City of Fredericton livestream)
The planning advisory committee had been unanimously against the development, but city staff recommended council consider giving the rezoning first and second reading.
This past spring, Cedar Valley Investments purchased the 35-acre parcel of land for $6 million and has applied to have roughly two-thirds of it rezoned to allow buildings as tall as eight storeys. The development would also include single-family homes, including townhouses.
In addition to those who spoke Monday night, numerous letters and a petition were sent to the city in opposition. A handful were in support.
Louie Youssef, president of Cedar Valley Investments, did not attend the meeting but his wife and three experts on the project were there.
Dave McKay, the architectural lead, said low-rise townhouses, tree lines and parks will act as buffers to the new low-density housing and the existing residential neighbourhood.
He also spoke about the promotion of a healthy, active community through a multipurpose trail connecting the new development and surrounding neighbourhoods to a large park. He said access to services would be available through a commercial element of the plan along Prospect Street, for which specific vendors would not be confirmed until after construction.
According to the planning report from city planner Matthew Robinson, the developer has not provided any provision for supportive or affordable housing in the complex.
Cedar
Valley Investments's proposal would see apartment buildings constructed
on the southern two-thirds of the property, with townhouses and
detached homes on the northern and eastern sides of the property. (City of Fredericton)
When asked about affordable housing during the meeting, McKay said that "the denser these developments, the cheaper it is to build and therefore … the cost can stay down."
Residents from the area were skeptical and had concerns about increased traffic in a likely car-dependent development and insufficient infrastructure and services.
Lindsay Bowman, from the Golf Club Road neighbourhood, tried to appeal to the vision that councillors have for the city and that some expressed during their election campaigns.
"You spoke so eloquently about the opportunities that Fredericton has," she told council. "And I don't think this proposal is living up to your vision.
"This isn't where any of you imagined putting 1,000 new citizens and families in Fredericton. … I'm going to be honest, it's not a walkable community. We have no services. We have a church and we have a golf course in our neighborhood."
Lindsay
Bowman, a resident of the Golf Club Road neighbourhood, said it's a
long uphill walk to get to services, and new residens would need
vehicles since there’s no public transit. (City of Fredericton livestream)
Bowman said the community is a long uphill walk in either direction to get to services, adding that every new resident or family would need a vehicle since there's no public transit.
She said that she isn't confident that services will come if the development is built.
"I have unique knowledge as a business owner in Fredericton, that business owners aren't willing to invest in infrastructure and overhead and this sort of thing on the hope that we can drive people to this community. The numbers won't be there," said Bowman.
"I think we're giving a lot of deference to these hopes and prayers that this will all work out. And it hasn't worked out in other neighbourhoods. And I don't want to see it happen in mine."
A resident of another Cedar Valley property and a Cedar Valley employee spoke in favour of the project.
Following the presentations from the public, Coun. LeJeune moved that before third reading and the Oct. 23 meeting, the planning and development department provide an administrative report with more information about such things as public transit for the area, traffic mitigation and potential timelines for the public park amenities.
Coun. Bruce Grandy then moved an amendment that first and second readings, which were intended to happen Monday night, be deferred until Oct. 23 with third reading to take place at the following council meeting.
The amended motion was approved, and the administrative report will be available to the public on the Friday before the Oct. 23 meeting.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Reply to Graham McCormack
Saturday, 19 August 2023
Controversial development gets nod from Fredericton city staff, but not planning committee
Controversial development gets nod from Fredericton city staff, but not planning committee
Cedar Valley Investments wants to build apartments comprising 870 units
Fredericton's planning advisory committee voted unanimously on Wednesday night to recommend city council reject a rezoning application that would allow the construction of at least 870 new housing units on a former farm lot in the city's southwestern corner.
"To see a seven [to] zero vote is very disappointing," said Louie Youssef, president of Cedar Valley Investments, which is behind the proposal.
This past spring, Cedar Valley Investments purchased the 35-acre parcel of land for $6 million, and has since applied to have roughly two-thirds of it rezoned to allow apartment buildings as tall as eight storeys.
The northern end of the property abuts Golf Club Road, while the southern end lies along Prospect Street.
The proposal calls for constructing seven apartment buildings on the southern two-thirds of the property, with those closest to Prospect Street containing commercial units on the ground floor.
The apartment buildings would be built shorter going north along the property, with townhouses and detached homes built on the northern third of the plot.
Cedar
Valley Investments's proposal would see the apartment buildings
constructed on the southern two-thirds of the property, with townhouses
and detached homes on the northern and eastern sides of the property. (City of Fredericton)
The proposal also includes the construction of a street going through the property from Golf Club Road to Prospect Street.
The property for the proposed development is a sizeable chunk of a neighbourhood primarily made up of high-end detached homes. Many residents have taken issue with the proposal, as was seen in at least 35 letters of opposition and concern they filed with the planning advisory committee ahead of the meeting.
George Filliter has a view of the property from his home on Appledorn Lane, and said his main concern is the anticipated increase in traffic that will come with the addition of thousands of new residents to the neighbourhood.
"I know the proposal has a roundabout at the top of a new road that's going to be built, going on to Prospect Street west, and that's fine for people traveling uptown, but the vast majority of people who work, work downtown," Filliter said.
"I've almost been hit several times by cars driving on [Golf Club] Road as is. The speed limit is not adhered to."
Youssef said there's no denying traffic will increase, but he contends only by "a little bit."
He said the bigger concern he wants neighbours to keep in mind is the housing crisis, which has left people across the country struggling to find a place to live.
George
Filliter lives near the property and is concerned about the increase in
traffic that will come with thousands of potential new residents. (Pat Richard/CBC)
"And in order to solve that housing crisis, I think the residents who were here complaining about the development... have to realize, and I think they do realize, that the only way to solve the problem is to create more housing," Youssef said.
Another adjacent property owned by Cedar Valley Investments was granted a zoning amendment earlier this year, and work is already underway to construct the 147-unit apartment building.
Infrastructure would follow development, says planner
As outlined in a Fredericton staff report issued to the planning advisory committee, city staff believe the proposal meets the intent of the city's growth strategy and municipal plan, with parts of the report referring to it as a "complete community" with a "logical street layout."
And if the proposal were to go forward, it wouldn't come without upgrades to nearby infrastructure, said Matthew Robinson, a planner with the City of Fredericton.
He said those would include upgrades to sewer and storm water drains, as well as a roundabout along Prospect Street and added transit service to the area.
"So we hope that that kind of gets reflected in future budgetary conversations and … we're hoping to again get that infrastructure to a point that's going to be properly servicing the new and existing residents of these areas," Robinson said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fredericton Approves $30-Million Residential And Commercial Development
Reading Time: 3minutesFREDERICTON — An estimated $30 million mixed-use development has a green light to advance, bringing more than 160 new apartments to a rental market in high demand.
The city’s planning advisory committee voted 8-1 on Wednesday to grant a variance request for the proposal. The two-phase project, located adjacent to Odell Park at 264 Rookwood Avenue, calls for two eight-storey buildings with ground floor commercial space and apartments on the upper levels.
Louie Youssef, president of Cedar Valley Investments, told the committee increased housing is needed to address the city’s low vacancy rate and in turn create affordable housing. While sharing his proposal he said the current rate for his properties is less than 1 per cent.
“To me, how can you have a better location than something that is between two parks, on a walking trail, is on the edge of a residential neighbourhood as per the municipal plan and provides badly needed housing,” Youssef said.
The developer presented a three-dimensional model along with architect Ann Scovil, who highlighted a curved, modern design facing the park. Plans show the parking lot hidden from the road by the two buildings.
The first phase of the project is one of the 8-storey buildings, with more than 11,600 square feet of commercial space. The residential floors will have 28 one-bedroom units, 42 three-bedroom units and 42 two-bedroom units from 690 to 1160 square feet. There are also plans for underground and exterior parking.
Phase two of the development includes 12,690 square feet in commercial space with 28 one-bedroom apartments and 63 units of two bedrooms or greater.
The project has not been completely priced, but Youssef estimated the units may rent at about $1,200-1,800 per month.
The urban core is experiencing low vacancy rates and planning committee members noted a major lack of sufficient residential housing and apartments. The vacancy rate in 2019 was 1.4 percent, down from 2.1 percent in 2018.
That need comes as the capital city is experiencing a substantial rise in population growth competing with increases in commercial and residential development. Fredericton set a record for building permits with $170-million issued in 2019.
The city’s planning report for the Rookwood Avenue project notes a projected 50 per cent increase in Fredericton’s population in the next 20 years.
Youssef told Huddle after the meeting he received five rental inquiries for the unbuilt project the day of the meeting alone. He sees the ground-floor commercial space to be ideal for a technology company, professional firm or retail.
“I think that higher density is what needs to happen for a number of reasons to help with the vacancy rate, and it’s also the most environmentally-friendly way to build from a footprint perspective,” Youssef said.
About a dozen people turned out to hear discussion on the project.
Two residents of the nearby Sunshine Gardens neighbourhood shared concerns about the density of the project and potential impact on the area. Both said they recently heard about the project, as only those residing within the immediate vicinity of the site were notified under city practices.
Patricia Fields is concerned about increased traffic on area streets and a lack of parking, especially with summertime construction.
“I feel the neighbourhood deserves more notice and an opportunity to understand better,” she said.
Lynn Fullerton is worried the buildings could look like a “big wall” coming out of Odell Park. The proposal would be twice the height of the tallest current structure in the area.
“The massing of this I think is grossly oversized and doesn’t do anything for sightlights or visuals,” Fullerton said.
Following public comment, the committee approved variances allowing for 66 additional units, less parking spaces, a three-metre increase in building height and a side-yard setback.
The variances don’t require the appoval of council. With no remaining obstacles, Youssef said he hopes to start break ground on Phase I this spring with construction expected to take 18-24 months.
“We’re going to move along as fast as we can,” he said.
- City Stories: Louie Youssef didn't set out to be in the business of apartment buildings. Learn more about how local development company - Cedar Valley Investments - was born from a simple love of building. We catch up and chat with Mr. Youssef in this latest City Story profile.(
![📸]()
: Cedar Valley Investment’s next project will be a two-building apartment complex at the corner of Rookwood Avenue and Waggoner’s Lane. The first phase of construction is due to begin in April 2021.)175 comments
Julia KerrCity of Fredericton Government We have a housing crisis for low income people and vulnerable populations in Fredericton! A heart warming article on how profitable landlords are becoming is beyond tone deaf. Just yesterday a cashier downtown told me shes seeing new faces on the street every day. #AffordableHousing is what our economy and our people need, not more 1300-3000/month apartments.- Reply
Julia KerrJulia Kerr they don't have a single good review as of the time of the post. 7 1-star reviews on Google, even the people affording these units are complaining about the upkeep and services.Whose paying for this advertisement?![cedar valley investments fredericton - Google Search]()
cedar valley investments fredericton - Google SearchGOOGLE.COMcedar valley investments fredericton - Google Search - Reply
- Edited
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Edited
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Edited
- Reply
- Reply
- Edited
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Edited
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Edited
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Edited
- Reply
- Edited
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
- Reply
Fredericton’s Ward 11 election race one to watch for people wanting action on housing
![Solidarité Fredericton releases report card on municipal candidates’ positions on housing, transportation, police and wetlands [updated]](http://nbmediacoop.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Parking-lot--750x536.jpg)
When voters in Fredericton’s Ward 11 (East Downtown and Plat/University of New Brunswick) head to the polls on May 10, they will either elect a landlord and developer, a business owner known for his housing advocacy, or a frontline worker.
The three candidates, Louie Youssef, Jason LeJeune and David Wells, all say they want to address the housing affordability crisis in the capital city.
Housing has become a 2021 municipal election issue as falling vacancy rates and soaring rents and renovictions displace people from their homes in New Brunswick’s cities, a situation made worse and more visible during COVID-19.
Louie Youssef is the owner of Cedar Valley Investments Ltd. and perhaps the most visible candidate in Ward 11 with signs on the lawns of many of his properties. He owns more than 400 apartments in the city. His latest developments include new luxury apartment buildings at 264 Rookwood Avenue, 230 Regent Street (available rental units start at $1,600), and 55 Greenfields Drive (available rental units start at $1,500).
According to Youssef’s website, “Louie wants to address the fact that renters pay a higher property tax rate than homeowners. He has been partnering with the New Brunswick government for the past several years to create new affordable and subsidized housing for the people and families on the long waiting list. Louie wants all Frederictonians to be able to live affordably.”
When he claims that renters pay more property tax, Youssef is actually drawing attention to how big rental company owners like himself pay more in property tax than homeowners and landlords living in the building they rent.
That has some raising questions about whether landlords and developers can be effective advocates for affordable housing in Fredericton.
Youssef disagrees and says landlords and developers should sit on city council: “Why shouldn’t they?”
Youssef argues that developers have specific expertise that make them good city councilors: “Could a developer be considered a valuable asset on council because they have expertise in capital projects, spending, management and business in general? Isn’t the perspective of someone who is self employed and struggled through hardships an important view to have?”
Jacob David Poulin-Litvak was evicted from a downtown Fredericton property Youssef initially bought to extend a parking lot. He thinks developers like Youssef already have too much clout in City Hall.
“If Youssef gets elected as Councillor, he’ll be in conflict of interest on residential tax issues, on development issues and on rental issues in Fredericton. He’ll also be in conflict of interest when it comes to naming Planning Advisory Committee members. His personal interest as a developer and a rental company’s owner will affect his capacity to take decisions that are in the interests of the people at large,” said Poulin-Litvak.
Youssef disagreed: “I’m not sure when being a capitalist in a capitalist society became a crime. I am not just an evil apartment owner, as so many in the media would have us perceived. I am a father of five. I am a husband. I am a caring member of our community who has always given back. I hope our society hasn’t become so cynical that they think an elected citizen can’t abstain from conflicts. I guess in today’s world you’re guilty until proven innocent.”
The controversy around developers on council was in the spotlight recently when city council approved a project on the city’s Northside owned by Ward 4 councillor Eric Price. The three-story housing development will add some welcomed affordable housing units. Price abstained from the city council vote on the project, but some felt the decision demonstrated the outsized influence of property developers in a city that in recent decades has been run to maximize construction numbers.
“A city is about more than just a collection of property developments,” says sociologist and former mayoral candidate Matthew Hayes.
“It is not a question of whether developers are good or bad people, it is about whether city council is able to get them to work together to build projects that are inclusive and that add value to the city as a whole. That takes more public engagement and more willingness to work together, instead of at cross-purposes, than has been the case of late,” Hayes said.
“If you build a building with a brick streetscape, you are stripping value off the street for the life of that building. So you need a council willing to push people to work together,” he added.
Jason LeJeune also wants to represent the people of Ward 11.
LeJeune owns the Abbey Café and recently owned Isaac’s Way before turning over ownership of the restaurant to its workers. Known in the city for his housing advocacy with the John Howard Society and other housing first initiatives, LeJeune is calling for rent control legislation and more inclusionary zoning for different kinds of dwellings—measures that are also being advocated by tenant organizations, the New Brunswick Coalition for Tenants Rights and ACORN NB.
“I believe we need to advocate for some rent control legislation and a balancing of tenant/landlord rights,” Lejeune said. “We need to incentivize non-profit and co-operative housing developments, we must modernize our zoning by-laws to be more inclusionary of smaller typologies, and we need to complete our municipal Housing Needs Assessment and hire a Housing officer to adopt and implement.”
LeJeune says he decided to run after seeing “a real disconnect between community priorities and municipal priorities. I thought with my strong fiscal background and vast community service, I could bring the organizations together to better our city.”
LeJeune is working with the John Howard Society to manage the Fredericton City Motel Project.
After the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation denied a funding application to convert the Fredericton City Motel into 20 affordable housing units, 12 peer-supported living units and a 24-bed emergency shelter, current Ward 11 councillor and mayoral candidate Kate Rogers unsuccessfully moved a motion to provide $900,000 in emergency funding for the project at a city council meeting in March.
Rogers has represented Ward 11 for two terms and is also the chair of Fredericton’s Affordable Housing Committee.
Six councillors running for re-election voted against Rogers’ motion, effectively stopping it: Steven Hicks in Ward 5 (Marysville), Kevin Darrah in Ward 7 (Southwood Park/Lincoln), Stephen Chase in Ward 9 (Bishop Drive/Odell Park), and Henri Mallet in Ward 12 (Silverwood/Garden Creek). Several of these councillors argued that the city needed to “stay in our lane” during council deliberations, noting that housing is a provincial matter.
As in other recent council decisions that proved out of step with the public, a special meeting was held only days later to reverse the decision.
David Wells, a frontline worker, basketball coach and local musician, is also running in Ward 11.
If elected, Wells said he “would investigate going beyond incentivizing affordable housing and instead mandate a percentage of new housing projects be affordable by way of inclusionary zoning.”
Wells wants action on existing projects and initiatives like Fredericton’s Affordable Housing Committee and the Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness, as well as attempting to better leverage funding from the National Housing Strategy.
“There has been so much heavy-lifting mentally and organizationally, we need sustained action now to avoid these efforts being squandered,” said Wells.
“I made the decision to run because I want to help my city and its citizens. As a frontline worker dealing with the public on a daily basis, I get to understand issues directly from our citizens, and also how poorly they feel those needs are being addressed, and so I realized there was a need for better representation,” said Wells.
Wells said his decision to run was made easier because he has two children: “I want to help Fredericton be an even better city for them to live in.”
On April 23, the New Brunswick Coalition for Tenants Rights released a platform on what municipalities can do to address the housing crisis. The platform includes recommendations and examples of municipal leadership on housing, including stronger municipal bylaws to enforce better standards in rental units, new economic structures such as housing corporations and rent banks, and a licensing regime for corporate landlords.
To further the public conversation on housing in New Brunswick’s cities, the NB Media Coop is co-organizing an online panel, Social Justice and the City in New Brunswick, on May 5. Panelists Rachel Bryant and Julia Woodhall-Melnik, researchers based at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John, and Valerya Edelman, a Fredericton-based social worker and community organizer, will speak on how social exclusion has shaped our cities and what is being done to give all people access to what a city has to offer.
Fredericton’s three Ward 11 candidates, with their diverse experiences and perspectives on housing, make the election race one to follow.
Tracy Glynn is an organizer with the New Brunswick Coalition for Tenants Rights and researched the Coalition’s municipal platform.
Citizen X - No you can't build it there, that will inconvenience me.