Summerside makes way for housing on industrial land

The City of Summerside, P.E.I., is making more land available for housing.

Land off 130 Greenwood Drive, butting up against the Confederation Trail and Valley Street, has been rezoned from industrial land use to residential land use.

Summerside council voted unanimously to rezone two pieces of land in the area.

Local developer Camco Inc. put the proposal for rezoning forward. Coun. Justin Doiron, planning board chair, said he's unsure how much housing the project could create.

"They would like to do the subdividing first. This first step was simply rezoning," Doiron said.

"Down the line there will be, what I assume, will be another application for the development plan. That's when we will learn about how many lots and the lay of the roads."

According to the city's minutes for a special meeting at the end of March the zoning amendments would allow for semi-detached housing, row housing and apartment buildings in the area.

Coun. Bruce MacDougall was not in attendance, but a letter was read about his views on the rezoning. While he does support this proposal MacDougall has concerns with any development which might go through Valley Street.

Some residents have echoed those concerns, said Doiron.

"There were certainly some concerns from residents, mainly due to some of them didn't want to see a road from Greenwood Drive through to, I think it was Valley Street. They like how Valley Street was quiet and a dead end," Doiron said.

"As the land was previously zoned industrial up until tonight, as of right there could have been any number of things going in there industrial use. So, it's not necessarily the land use that prevented the road from going through and what residents didn't want to see. So, I think in the long run it will fit more into what the residents would like to see."

The rezoning means there is less industrial land. That means other areas may be rezoned for industrial use if the demand comes up, but for now the demand is for housing in the city, Doiron said.

Last year a proposal to develop the same parcel of land was voted down by council.

"The main reason why that was voted down was lack of details for that one," Doiron said.

"The applicant wasn't quite sure where the wetlands were. So, it was just kind of vague application. So we weren't comfortable in approving something that didn't have as many details as we would have liked to have seen."

When the developers provide details on the development council will seek input from the public, Doiron said.