Freshwinds Co-chair Sabine Dietz addressing town council
In a 7-1 vote, Tantramar Town Council decided on Tuesday not to support the Freshwinds Eco-Village Co-operative which is hoping to build 63 affordable housing units on its 21-acre property on Fairfield Road near the Sackville Golf Course.
Council rejected a request from Freshwinds Co-chair Sabine Dietz that the town apply for $2.4 million in federal and provincial funding to pay for the water and sewer upgrades on municipal land that would be needed to make the Freshwinds project work.
The money would come from the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) with the federal and provincial governments paying more than 80% of the cost. The town’s share would be about $400,000.
“Essentially, what happened tonight is an expression of ‘No, we’re not supporting Freshwinds,'” a surprised and disappointed Dietz told CHMA reporter Erica Butler after last night’s council meeting.
She said that without the town’s support, Freshwinds would not be able to get money from New Brunswick’s Regional Development Corporation to build water and sewer connections on its own land.
“We will not get access to that funding,” Dietz said. “If the municipality doesn’t do the other part, we will not get access and we cannot add $2.4 million at this stage to our project.”
Earlier, during a five-minute presentation, Dietz said Freshwinds is aiming to make up to half of its units affordable for low-income tenants.
She also reminded council that Sackville developer John Lafford has publicly supported the Freshwinds project because, she said, for-profit developers like him cannot build enough affordable, low-income housing.
CAO concerns
Tantramar CAO Jennifer Borne
Later, during the council meeting, Tantramar’s Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Borne expressed concern that applying for infrastructure funding for the Freshwinds project could jeopardize a later application for money to upgrade Sackville’s two main sewage lagoons.
Although Borne conceded that Tantramar is facing a housing crisis, she also worried that municipal involvement in the Freshwinds project could set a precedent.
“At least one other non-profit has the same ask to partner on a funding application,” Borne wrote in her report to council. “There could be other multiple asks to partner on funding applications.”
Mayor Andrew Black, Deputy Mayor Matt Estabrooks, Councillors Allison Butcher and Josh Goguen suggested that funding for the sewage lagoons should come first, while Councillor Barry Hicks said the town should apply for CHIF money to provide much-needed water and sewer services to places like Frosty Hollow and Mountview.
Only Councillor Michael Tower spoke in favour of supporting Freshwinds and he cast the only vote against denying the Freshwinds request for an application to the CHIF program.
He said CHIF was set up to help municipalities support non-profit housing and that it would be a year-and-a-half before Tantramar applies for sewage lagoon funding possibly under a different program.
“I think it’s time that we have to show some leadership and say, ‘Let’s help out, let’s find a partnership and try to work forward to make some things happen and get this housing crisis under control,'” Tower concluded.
Let me start by saying how frustrated I am with Tantramar Council’s complete lack of foresight and concern to help out with building affordable housing in our community.
Kudos to the Freshwinds Eco-Village Co-op for their valiant attempts to create a non-profit development of 63 new homes that we know are so desperately needed in Sackville.
I believe that building more affordable housing in our community is a top priority. There will be other funding available to help with upgrading the two sewer lagoons.
The fact that most town councillors (and the Mayor too?) cannot see building new housing as a most urgent need and are operating from a scarcity mindset, is disappointing to say the very least.
Badly done Town Council, badly done!
Finally, council making a great decision that takes into account all the taxpayers. These people are known to start such non profits and expect the taxpayers to fund good portions of it. Keep it up Tantramar
Spoken like an out of touch boomer. People like you are the reason why Sackville is dying a slow and painful death. Keep it up!
Your welcome you out of touch lefty gen z twit.
Interestingly, to add this: if you were at the Housing Session in January with Andrew Black et al you would have been witness to a bizarre exchange with an apartment building local builder who said he was having trouble moving his project ahead and Black questioned if the model of “for profit building” was the problem.. when the builder then asked Black “why would I build it otherwise?” So I cannot take Andrew Black seriously.. he cares so little for people outside his sphere of thinking [he himself working also for a “non-profit” Open Sky Farm with a donate button] and it’s this sort of detail that seems lost on the voting public here.. who does Andrew Black actually care about?
Exactly my sentiments. He gets paid to work at Open Sky, yet cannot see through to supporting their philosophy of creating independent living for the people he works with.
“CHIF was set up to help municipalities support non-profit housing and…it would be a year-and-a-half before Tantramar applies for sewage lagoon funding possibly under a different program.”
This is a very disappointing decision from the Council. This money is available now, and they should be taking advantage of it. We have a federal election coming up, and a new government could very well cut these kinds of programs. This money might not be available in a year and a half for the sewage lagoons. I really don’t understand.
If there’s more than one application for municipal money to support non-profit housing, then exercise some judgement and pick the best one. Don’t use it as an excuse to do nothing. If you can spend public money to attract medical professionals, you can spend public money for non-profit housing–both are provincial rather than municipal responsibilities. Why when it comes to for-profit housing do we hear “we need housing and it will increase our population and tax base,” but on this proposal it’s crickets!
I am glad council turned them down. Any federal funding should go directly into fixing the towns lagoons and other infrastructure. They money should benefit the entire community. The Co-op is a government grift trying to expliot this town.
Jee wizz Allen, did you ever think our taxes could go towards both? I love hearing from all the out of touch boomers who bought their houses way back when. What privilege you have
If an out of touch gen z twit thinks this group wants someone like you living in their upper crust commune your more delusional that I give you credit for. They only want other former like minded hippies in their village.
They want the town to apply to the federal goverment funds on their behalf. But there is only so much federal money for infrastructure that can go to municipalities, and that should go to our most urgent needs, like our sewage lagoons that need to be fixed. They can’t do both, that’s the whole point.
Sabine Dietz is passionate about this project; I’m sure that she will find a way to get the work done with Eric T. King.. they are very capable people.. perhaps they need to start small and build on their project as they can afford to do so.. As I mentioned to Sabine Dietz at the Mayor’s “Housing Session” in January this year .. do check in with the local highschool to see if some of those students looking to leave school and work in the trades could work on your project and help build housing.. that would be a wonderful collaboration under Eric T. King a long time builder in the area. Always consider that something worth doing [housing] will be achieved when less government is involved.. as a Libertarian mouthpiece around here I am for less government meddling and nannystatism.. and I think building homes is still honourable work… the project is utopian but it is still worth sticking with Sabine.
Wondering how many existing homeowners will be putting their houses on the market when they downsize to move into the 70 plus unit apartment building at 131 Main Street in about half a year.
Then there will be another major surge of houses for sale when the 90 plus apartments are ready for occupancy in less than two years when the magnificent Wilson/Lafford building on York Street is open for business.
Dozens of building lots are now, or will be by the end of summer, available on Burman Street with the expansion of the Beale and Inch subdivision that is underway.
Mount Allison, with the current foreign student limits in effect, seem to be rather dormant as far as any growth and Moneris employment seems to have shrunk considerably from what it was just a few years ago.
It is just that one has to be aware of what the future holds for us as I don’t see any huge increase in jobs in this area and I do see lots of accommodations becoming available.
If one oversaturates the market then the value of homes will decrease and a lot of assessments will have to be lowered. It is a slippery slope when government gets too involved with trying to ‘help’ free enterprise.
I love how the boomer generation destroys housing, destroys the economy (how many recessions now?), destroys the climate. Then, you have the audacity to come on the Internet and pat yourselves on the back and cheer yourselves on. Brilliant. You literally think we need lagoons over housing. Enjoy the lead.
We do need lagoon can’t have raw sewage going all over the place. Duh. Plus I am not a boomer.
From your posts, what you love is directing hate at people because of their age even when you don’t know what their age is, and calling everyone who disagrees with you a “boomer” instead of discussing the issues.
Boomers built much of Canada and many fought in wars for our freedoms, and I have deep respect for our elders. But this isn’t up for debate, so some resort to ad hominem attacks on our elders, even when the people commenting aren’t even Boomers. You can’t take these people seriously.