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Melfort council approves rezoning to allow Orr Drive duplexes

MELFORT — Melfort council passed an amendment to the zoning bylaw to allow duplexes to be built on the west side of Orr Drive onto Shadd Drive. The rezoning made it so six lots are now zoned, which allows for six duplexes with two dwellings each.
Melfort Council

MELFORT — Melfort council passed an amendment to the zoning bylaw to allow duplexes to be built on the west side of Orr Drive onto Shadd Drive.

The rezoning made it so six lots are now zoned, which allows for six duplexes with two dwellings each.

“There will be restrictive covenants put on the developer as to what exactly he can develop, and certainly there will be construction restraints that he will have to follow,” said Rick Lang, Melfort’s mayor. “Those include minimum size and probably minimum quality constraints.”

The motion passed unanimously at the May 6 council meeting.

This is the second time the motion to rezone the area for duplexes came by council. The previous motion, which didn’t pass, contained both the east and the west side of Orr Drive.

“The east side of the street is now exempt from this new zoning,” Lang said. “It’s only the west side of Orr that backs onto Shadd Drive now. Which can be potentially difficult lots to sell, anyway.”

Three Melfort residents spoke up with concerns about the zoning, and one spoke in favour of the zoning but concerns about the location. Council also received three emails with concerns.

One of the objections expressed was the duplexes may be rented. The speaker stated that they felt tenants don’t care about the condition of the property in which they are living in, resulting in poor upkeep by both the tenants and landlord.

While Lang cannot guarantee any future duplexes on the properties won’t be rented, he finds the estimated cost for the project to be a barrier to renting it.

Lang said the build cost the developer is looking at is about $600,000 for each building, $300,000 per dwelling.

“Realistically when you’re renting out a house you’re going to rent it for one-tenth of its value,” he said. “Could you have a house that’s neglected that costs $300,000? Absolutely you could. We can’t control that.”

Another concern expressed to council is that it would allow more multi-residential use dwellings such as a fourplex. Lang said the new zoning does not allow that to be built.