St. Paul passes land-use clarification, to hear soon about major funding for new Sunnyside Manor

St. Paul is moving a step closer to getting an answer from the province about their proposed plan with Sunnyside Manor and Heritage Homes. 

The Town read through land-use bylaw changes under the supportive living facility section after a public hearing with a packed house at the regular council on Monday. 

Mayor Maureen Miller says this change, from discretionary to institutional land, was requested by the government, before they commit major funding to the re-purposing and rebuilding of a senior’s supportive living facility. 

Plans have been underway for months for a multi-million dollar upgrade, estimate in the $50 million range, and this hurdle was meant to clarify language on the province’s end.

“It’s presently on institutional land. And presently a supportive living facility is only discretionary on institutional land. So the government who were asking for funding for, needed clarification,” said Mayor Maureen Miller on The Morning After. 

“We sent in for that application in September. And the government, let us know at that time that the answers or the communities that were going to be funded in this round, would be between the December 15 and January 15. So we’re holding a bated breath, to have that, and then we can proceed. 

“We’re almost at the point on the other end of the planning that we could even still proceed in 2024. If in fact, we don’t make that, the MD [of St. Paul] Foundation will have put all the paperwork in place to continue to hold that spot within the government for funding.” 

However, the clamour in the room, and many of the 14 written submissions in opposition, were concerned about a different file, that wasn’t up for discussion during the meeting. 

Mannawanis Friendship Centre has indicated their desire to create transitional housing for recovering addicts and completing mental health programming. 

Concerns were that by shifting away from discretionary to institutional, could allow a residential property like 5130 45 Ave to be used, as their facility would still be classified as “supportive living.” 

Miller said they’ve received no submission for Mannawanis project. If and when it arrives, a public hearing would still be triggered, and residents would have their say. 

“I think the concern with the public is us passing Sunnyside, and passing permitted use to institutional land of supportive living, gave a free pass to anybody else coming in, but we have no institutional land for anything to go on at this time. So it’s not a free pass to anybody. It’s just clarifying to the government that we’re ready and clarifying to the community what can be built on institutional land.” 

In order to clarify rumours, Miller encouraged those with questions to call the Town Office at 780-645-4481.

“Somebody here would have been able to walk through that entire file before all that anxiety. I had like 35 people in here with standing room and very anxious. And I don’t want the community to be anxious. And I don’t want the community think we’re trying to pass something under a rug either. So I was appreciative everybody showed up, because we were able to explain that. But really, the course of action would be to phone the town.”