This article was previously published on StratfordToday.
StratfordToday received the following letter to the editor regarding a proposed long-term care home development at 3188 Vivian Road
I am wondering if the proposed development at 3188 Vivian Road is in the best interests of the residents that are to benefit. Looking at the proposal, it is not the 160 beds that People Care Inc. and the CIty lead us to believe that was going to be put at the Grand Trunk site. It is much, much more. Unless you requested the reports connected to this proposal, or looked at the agenda for Monday's meeting, this will be news to you.
This proposal is for a five storey building on the North side for a Nursing Home for 288 beds. On the south side the proposal is for a seven storey building for 164 unit Retirement Residence and 42 Senior Apartments which in total is for at least 494 people on this property. That means a density of at least 215 people on 2.3 hectares and 171 parking spaces. There is nothing said about electric vehicle charging onsite, especially for the senior residents living in apartments. One thing that nursing home residents need is missing. The ability to have open, natural space to walk around and interact with nature and shaded areas to sit and admire nature which can help heal the soul. There is certainly not nearly enough area devoted to the 288 residents to be out in nature. There is a joint space and an interior landscaped area (not sure if it is open-air space). There will be dementia patients that need a contained open space, so more space should be included when you have 288 patients. I do not believe that we are respecting the needs of the patients and trying to make their lives more pleasant when there is not enough access for them to areas with landscaping outside.
I believe that the zoning bylaws are rules of what is to be done within the property and that the rules should be followed, especially when building new as opposed to re adaptive use of older buildings. Yes, the Nursing Home at 4 storeys, Retirement Home at 4 storeys, Senior Apartments, Personal Care Establishment and Personal Service Establishment need to be included in the zoning, but there should not be as many setbacks and less parking spaces, less bicycle rack spaces, less landscaped area, The Council is in a position to request some items for our citizens when allowing others like the above zoning as well as Official Plan amendments. We are in a climate emergency and there should be building changes made to reflect that, especially because we have targets to meet. Any new buildings constructed in the City must be made to have quite a number of climate mitigation features included, not just token or consider doing this! We need this type of housing, but it must be in preparation for the future.
Please voice your concerns at the Public Meeting for this proposal is this Monday, Aug. 12th at 7:00 at the Regular Council Meeting in the Council Chambers. Please take that opportunity or email to let the council members know how you feel about this overcrowded site that is in need of some more climate change mitigation measures like heat pumps, full solar rooftops and much less reliance on natural gas. The reports are available from the Planning department, [email protected], where you can access the public documents and could also delegate at the meeting where there is a motion to approve this.
Jane Marie Mitchell
Stratford
