Oro-Medonte Township council voted unanimously Wednesday to endorse a funding application to the Canadian Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF), prepared by Georgian Communities, for infrastructure needed for its development projects in Craighurst.
At the same time, officials approved a staff recommendation that the township be the “lead applicant,” a move that could see CHIF cover up to 50 per cent of the total eligible costs.
If Georgian Communities were to be the lead applicant, CHIF could cover up to 25 per cent of the total eligible costs.
The township and Georgian Communities are looking to secure some of the $1 billion in funding the federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities said would be available when CHIF was launched last November — earmarked to help communities build or improve critical infrastructure, such as drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater, that will in turn help to build more homes.
According to a report presented to township council, Georgian Communities will be applying for $12 million to $20 million in CHIF funding to construct wastewater infrastructure to support the development of over 500 units in the Craighurst Settlement Area.
The Craighurst Crossing development, which is already in the works, consists of 361 single-family dwelling units on the north side of Horseshoe Valley Road, east of Penetanguishene Road.
“Over the years, township staff have been working with Georgian Communities to develop a complete community in Craighurst with a variety of housing types, which includes front-ending the financial costs associated with the provision of infrastructure,” George Vadeboncoeur, manager of planning special projects, wrote in his report to council.
“Having access to this grant reduces the overall cost of development which will accelerate the construction of multi-residential housing," he added.
For a private-sector entity to apply, Vadeboncoeur said it must work in collaboration with an eligible public-sector entity, such as a municipality,.
According to Jay Beech, vice-president of Georgian Communities, his company enlisted the aid of Stantec engineering’s North American Funding Program department to review the probability of success for the CHIF grant.
“They reviewed and they’ve proven through their due diligence that we are a prime candidate for this grant,” he told township council.
According to Beech, components of the project which are being included in the CHIF application are four sanitary beds, sanitary sewer lines, catch basins, stormwater management ponds, pumping stations, sanitary treatment plants, storm sewers, watermain, manholes and linear infrastructure pipes.
All of this infrastructure, Beech noted, will be conveyed to the municipality once the development is done and assumed, per the subdivision agreement.
Bringing housing to Oro-Medonte, especially midrise apartment-style housing that tends to be more affordable than single-family housing, is part of Oro-Medonte Township council’s goal of developing complete communities, Vadeboncoeur’s report noted.
The township’s Official Plan provides policy guidance for the Craighurst Settlement Area and encourages a mix of residential uses that has the greatest impact on the quality of life of residents in the area.
“No more than 75 per cent of all new dwellings shall be single-detached dwellings, with the remainder being made up of other dwelling types,” Vadeboncoeur’s report added.
During Wednesday’s council meeting, Beech told council Georgian Communities is proposing a mixed-use development on the south side of Horseshoe Valley Road consisting of 5,000 square metres (about 55,000 square feet) of commercial space and 150 lowrise apartment-style units.
According to Beech, engineers are working on infrastructure plans that will service the entire development.
Vadeboncoeur’s report noted a pre-consultation meeting has been held and applications for Official Plan amendment, zoning amendment, plan of subdivision and site-plan applications are to be submitted shortly.
The deadline for the CHIF application is March 31.