Housing and Urban Issues News for the New Year

January 2, 2023

Crescentwood Heritage Conservation District proposed

The City’s Historical Buildings and Resources Committee recommended the creation of a Heritage Conservation District in Crescentwood. Intended to protect the “garden-like” setting of the neighbourhood, this would be second Heritage Conservation District following the one set up for Armstrong Point. YIMBY Winnipeg spokesperson Dylon Martin told the Winnipeg Free Press ”  ”I think that there’s an opportunity for them to be misused. I think that there’s a lot… of subjectivity (in residential areas) in what counts as historically notable versus what’s just old.”

This follows a few years after contentious debate over the demolition of a deteriorating mansion in Crescentwood. People eyeing restrictions on infill projects have proposed Heritage Conservation Districts elsewhere. Speaking on the Crescentwood proposal, Elmwood-East Kildonan Councillor Jason Schreyer told the Winnipeg Free Press:  “You’ve got this clash of values. We’re actually going to be putting together (this) heritage conservation district at the same time that we’re going to have an Our Winnipeg plan (a key city planning document) that pushes density”. This echoes a past observation Waverley West Councillor Janice Lukes made, talking about Exchange District regulations in 2021, that limiting development at some sites requires more density elsewhere

Seniors apartment quashed (for now)

Late in the fall of 2022 the provincially appointed Manitoba Municipal Board rejected a proposed seniors apartment for Charleswood that had been previously approved by Winnipeg City Council. The Municipal Board alleged the scale of the seniors apartment was out of character with the area.

Motion to move supportive housing forward

The City of Winnipeg’s Property and Development Committee approved a motion speed up the addition of supportive housing units on Dec. 1st, 2022.. Moved by Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry Councillor Sherri Rollins, motion calls for the City civil service to identify six modular housing sties, targeting to build 270 homes within 8-12 months of site approval. It also calls for the city to waive city taxes as well as permit and development for those homes and others supported by federal Raid Housing Initiative funds. This supports Mayor Scott Gillingham’s campaign promise of launching a modular rapid housing program in Winnipeg.

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