Millions for Moncton infrastructure hinge on council's 4-unit housing vote

A pending Moncton council vote to loosen residential zoning rules will determine whether the municipality qualifies for millions in infrastructure money it hopes to use to boost housing development.

City council is considering allowing four-unit housing in any residential zone in the city, which would allow higher density in areas currently restricted to one- or two-unit buildings. 

The change is a key condition for the city to receive $15.5 million through the Housing Accelerator Fund. It's also a condition to qualify for funding from the Canadian Housing Infrastructure Fund.

The city plans to apply for tens of millions through that second program for new roads, bridges, and underground utility lines expected to allow denser downtown development and construction of new neighbourhoods. 

"We do have a lot of land," Josh Davies, Moncton's manager of long-range policy planning, said in an interview. 

"It's the infrastructure, and the cost associated with that infrastructure, that's been a deterrent."

 

While the city won't provide specific costs or a full list of projects at this point, as many still require further council approvals to proceed, Davies said value of the infrastructure could easily exceed $100 million.

The federal program could cover up to 40 per cent of project costs. 

Three projects that the city hopes to use federal funds to help build have already been mentioned publicly. The single most expensive is a new east-west road through the Vision Lands estimated at more than $60 million. 

The Vision Lands is a large area of mostly undeveloped privately owned land,  bounded by Mapleton Road, the Trans-Canada Highway, McLaughlin Drive and Wheeler Boulevard. 

The city is updating its plans for the Vision Lands, with council expected to weigh in later this year. Davies said the vision so far is for about 14,000 new housing units on the western portion of the Vision Lands. 

"There's a very high residential yield potential in that area, however the the big ticket being that large, major, expensive infrastructure needed to service and open those areas up for development," Davies said. 

The second potential project already named the city hopes will get federal funding is a new road branching off Harrisville Boulevard near the Humphreys Brook trail.

The road would add another exit route for new subdivisions around École Champlain. Davies said an application to fund the project has already been submitted.

A third project is the reconstruction of St. George Street and replacement of underground utility lines under the road through downtown. Those pipes need to be replaced to allow higher density development along the street, Davies said. 

"It provides us essentially more capacity to accommodate growth and development in addition to creating a new street, creating all the other benefits that will come with," Davies said. 

But all of the projects hinge on the pending zoning change vote. A public hearing on the proposed change is scheduled for April 22, which could be followed by second- and third-reading of the bylaw. 

The change would allow four-unit housing in all residential zones across the city as-of-right, meaning landowners wouldn't need to go to city council for approval. 

The change is one municipalities across the country are making to receive the federal funding, though municipalities can take slightly different approaches.

Fredericton's bylaw wouldn't allow the demolition of an existing building to construct a new four-unit structure. Instead, it would allow renovations, or additions, to add extra units. Moncton's bylaw would allow demolition, as well as renovations or additions. Moncton's bylaw includes design standards for how four-unit buildings should appear. 

Davies has told council city staff have drafted a bylaw to make four-unit buildings as unobtrusive as possible for existing neighbourhoods. Davies said renovation costs and requirements to conform to the building code will likely limit the number of people who are able to take advantage of the bylaw change.