Manitoba Municipal Board says Shaftesbury apartment complex should go ahead despite residents' concerns
Tuxedo residents fear increased traffic will create safety, parking problems
Residents in Winnipeg's Tuxedo neighbourhood who fought against a proposed apartment complex say they feel defeated after a provincial board recommended the project go ahead.
The plans call for three buildings, with 58 units in total, on a plot of land on at 490 Shaftesbury Blvd., between the Tuxedo Golf Course and Canadian Mennonite University.
A group of residents appealed Winnipeg city council's decision to rezone the land from parks and recreation to residential multi-family-medium.
But now, the Manitoba Municipal Board has recommended the project go ahead, with some restrictions.
That board is a quasi-judicial tribunal of government appointees that in the past, was mainly focused on settling disputes over property assessments. In 2021, the province granted additional powers to the board, giving it the authority to reverse Winnipeg city council decisions about a variety of land-use decisions.
In this case, however, the board gave the project a green light.
The proposed development now goes back to Winnipeg city council, which still needs to pass a bylaw which would allow for the variance. That requires second and third readings at council, but there will be no more public hearings on the issue.
Cheryl MacInnis, who lives on Shaftesbury, is disappointed with the board's decision. She says the street is too narrow to accommodate the traffic the new units will create.
"We have difficulty crossing our street," MacInnis told CBC on Wednesday. "The street is extremely narrow and you cannot pass if there's a parked car — there's only room for one other vehicle."
The project was met with stiff opposition, with 102 people appealing the original zoning variance.
During public hearings at the municipal board in April, opponents argued the zoning change marked a drastic shift for the neighbourhood, which is characterized primarily by large single-family homes.
They also worried it sets a precedent for other park spaces.
In its June 2 report, the board noted that there are apartment buildings of similar or greater size nearby, and that 58 units is below the maximum permitted density of 75 under the new zoning.
During the hearings, the board also heard some properties within the city are zoned as park and recreation spaces simply as a placeholder until there is need for development.
"The [Shaftesbury] land is one such case. Historically, the land was never used, nor was it intended to be used, as a park," the board's report states.
For MacInnis, however, the primary concern is the impact on traffic, particularly if visitor parking at the apartment complex spills over on the Shaftesbury.
"This is one more thing that contributes to the lack of safety for the people here, so very troubling."
Board quashed nearby project
MacInnis and other residents who spoke to CBC News expressed surprise at the board's decision, given the same body had previously overturned a separate city approval of a proposed apartment complex at nearby 4025 Roblin Blvd.
Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood Coun. Evan Duncan commended the residents for voicing their concerns about the Shaftesbury proposal, but said he's heard from others who are worried about a lack of affordable housing.
"My residents have expressed a deep desire to age in place and remain in the community," he said.
Duncan, who was elected last October, wasn't on city council at the time of the original 14-1 decision to approve the Shaftesbury project last July. His predecessor, Kevin Klein — who is now a member of the Manitoba Legislature — cast the lone vote in opposition.
Duncan isn't sure how he'll vote once the plans come back for final council approval.
"I'm going to look at it, once the public service comes back with their analysis and reactions to it. I'll look at that report and then make a final decision," he said.
He noted the board made some recommendations in response to the residents' concerns, including doubling visitor parking spaces from four stalls to eight and restricting the size of the project to 58 units, in three buildings with heights ranging from 15 metres to 22 metres (50 to 72 feet).
CBC News reached out Private Pension Partners, the property's owner and developer, and to Landmark Planning and Design, the design firm on the project, but did not receive a response.
A date has not been set for when council will revisit the plan.
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