Editor: According to the 1998 settlement agreement, the Town and the developers agreed that the gross developable areas for pods 7 and 8 in Peaks of Grassi combined shall not exceed 45 acres, and that the density of pods 7 and 8 combined shall not exceed 404 residential units; “provided that in the event that the Developers donate to the Town, or the Town’s nominee, lands within Pods 7 or 8 for purposes of community housing then the lands donated and any Residential Units constructed thereon shall not be counted when calculating the 45 acres and 404 residential units.”
It is important to note that the agreement calls for the developer to donate the lands to the Town for community housing, and that the only land use for this development is community housing.
The settlement agreement does not include a scenario where only seven of the 27 units qualify as affordable community housing with the other 20 comprising high end townhouses, duplexes and single family homes.
According to the Oct. 20 staff report, these upscale accommodations could include suites which have the potential to increase the pool of affordable housing, but this depends on the choice of the owner where “if the suites are used they would be rental units.” Not a choice to be counted on.
It is clear that 20 out of the 27 units are primarily designed to bring profits to a developer who clearly did not donate this land to the Town or the Town’s nominee.
We can share council’s commitment to provide Canmore with more truly affordable housing, but in the case of Peaks of Grassi, seven affordable units is cosmetic only and does not contribute in any meaningful way to our affordable housing shortage, while failing to meet the terms of the 1998 settlement agreement.
It is to be hoped that council will continue to uphold the terms and intent of the 1998 settlement agreement, and respect the decisions of previous councils, as they did in their earlier principled decision in February of this year, when they did not approve the application for further development in Peaks of Grassi.
Fred Vermeulen,
Canmore
