Zorra Township Council briefs

Connor Luczka, Echo Correspondent

$2M co-build between Zorra Township and TVDSB fails to net provincial funding

While the Township of Zorra was successful in receiving nearly $260,000 from the province for repair, rehabilitation and upgrades for area arenas, it was unsuccessful in its $1 million bid for a new co-build with the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB).

The funding would have come through the second stream of the Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund (CSRIF) to go towards a township-owned gymnasium and soccer field, aspects of a 479-pupil school with an 88-space childcare facility expected to begin construction later this year.

The gymnasium and sports field portion of the build is estimated to cost $2 million, and the township’s portion was expected to be funded over the next three years, from 2025 to 2027, if the application was successful.

As noted in a staff report presented to council at its July 16 meeting, the project will continue to be funded through the capital budget, with 90 per cent covered by development charges and the facilities reserve.

Although not totally successful, the report on the fund pointed out that over 500 applications were received and only 22 were approved. That means the previously announced repair and rehabilitation funding that came from the first stream of the CSRIF (as reported in the July 4 edition of the Echo) was one of the few successful applications in the province.

“We sincerely appreciate the government of Ontario's support and would like to thank MPP Ernie Hardeman for his strong advocacy on our behalf,” the report reads.

Coun. Paul Mitchell praised staff for their work in beating the odds.

“Twenty-two out of 500 is about a four per cent success rate,” Mitchell said. “That's pretty long odds that you beat, so the application must have been rock solid … I think it's important that we keep going after these grants, and we have the staff capable of beating the odds and getting this money for us, so that's great.”

He also indicated that his support of the co-build moving forward will be dependent on if the township can net governmental funding in the future.

The $259,667 repair and rehabilitation grant will go towards upgrading aging refrigeration components and lighting at the Embro-Zorra Community Centre (EZCC) and Thamesford District Recreation Centre (TDRC).

Council approves zone change application for 22-unit apartment building, despite parking concerns

The balance between housing affordability and in-town parking pressures were at the heart of Zorra Township Council’s decision to approve an Official Plan amendment and zone change for a proposed 22-unit apartment in Thamesford.

The proposed building is located at 225 Dundas St. W. where the Thamesford Lawn Bowling Club was previously located. It was zoned in 2022 for medium density meaning a three-storey, 18-unit apartment complex was permitted to be built there. The owner asked to rezone the property to allow for 22 units.

Parking issues were top of mind for some members of the public who spoke on the proposal. It was also why Coun. Kevin Stewart moved a motion to deny the Official Plan amendment and rezoning.

“I think at 18 units, this is already a substantial development for us. To increase it to 22, I think this further highlights some concerns of parking, and obviously we heard from residents on that as well. We're not saying no to housing here. We're saying no to 22 because it's just further exacerbating a problem, a potential problem, with parking.”

While Coun. Katie Grigg did not support the changes, the other side of the horseshoe did. Both Mitchell and Coun. Crystal Finch said that the need for housing was great in the community and that the parking pressures should not get in the way of approving more units. Mayor Marcus Ryan concurred.

“At the risk of being offensive, the idea that we would prioritize providing a space for a car to park over providing a space for a person to live is really concerning to me. We might say that in the village of Thamesford, the township of Zorra, homeless people aren't as big an issue, but we did have a woman living under the bridge in the village of Thamesford a couple years ago.

Ryan added when he was first elected in 2014 there were very few homeless people across the county. There are now well over 150.

“If we're going to change that, if we're going to do different, if we want a different outcome, then we have to consider approving different things than the things that got us here. If we continue to prioritize things like parking the way we have historically, then we're going to continue to say we're not going to provide homes.”

With Ryan’s tiebreaking vote, Stewart’s motion was defeated and the zoning changes were approved.