The partners behind a proposed housing complex at Highway 35 and 21 in Minden have made changes that will see an additional eight units added.
The project came before council’s June 24 meeting with requests for official plan and rezoning amendments. It will be redesignated residential, from service and business area, and rezoned to residential type two-exception, from highway commercial – with the County of Haliburton’s blessing in the near future.
Outside of planning requirements, the project will see a shift so that there are now 36 units in nine, two-story, fourplex buildings. The original proposal was for 28 units. However, they will remain twobedroom and are designed for seniors, couples or small families.
Resident Bill Switzer donated the land and is working with the Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton Housing Corporation (KLHHC) to bring the affordable housing development to fruition.
Tim Welch of Tim Welch Consultants said half the units will be ground-level accessible to help seniors age in place.
“We think it is a very strong proposal to increase the supply of affordable housing in Minden,” Welch said of the unique publicprivate partnership.
Betsy Williamson of Williamson Williamson Architects added that after discussions with the MTO, they decided to alter the project, to accommodate setbacks. She said the units are facing the river and there is more parking and accessible parking.
“One of the things we’re looking at doing is distinguishing everyone’s front door,” she said. She added it was important to them “that each family who lives in that development understands that this is their home and that the home is distinguished by different colours, maybe a change in plantings, and they really look at this larger development with individual eyes and can call these places home for quite a long time.”
She said it’s hoped the County will give its approval in August, with construction starting in September 2021, completion in October 2022, and occupancy that November.
Coun. Bob Carter said he wanted to thank all involved in the project.
“For working on this project for so long and so diligently. It’s a little bit like going into a race where people start building hurdles in the middle of the race and you don’t know or expect that they’re going to be there so thank you all for staying the course. Thank you for adding 36 housing units into our desperate environment.”
