An extended negotiation that could result in additional residential housing on Patricia Street is nearing completion.
The negotiation between Parks Canada and a leaseholder on the 700-block of Patricia stems from the 1977 closure of Larch Avenue.
That closure resulted in the creation of the Nettie Hale walkway to accommodate the Hale residence, which lost its direct street access when the avenue closed. That walkway currently takes pedestrians from Geikie Street through to the alley and on to Patricia Street.
In 1995, following a new survey and consolidation of land that resulted in a reconfiguration of the lot, the Hale home was replaced with a new residence at 723 Geikie Street鈥攂ut the walkway remains and the portion between Geikie and the alley is now the municipality鈥檚 land.
As well as the walkway, 鈥渢he closure of Larch Avenue in 1977 also created an irregularly-shaped residential lot [on Patricia Street] that was designated as reserve land until a long-term plan could be put into place to enable the release of the lot,鈥� Dave Kreizenbeck, reality advisor for Parks Canada, wrote in a Sept. 4 letter to the municipality.
鈥淎fter 35 years of negotiation with the adjacent leasehold, Parks Canada believes they will shortly be in a position to finalize a new survey realigning the lot and releasing the vacant residential two-dwelling unit lot.鈥� That lot is on the 700-block of Patricia Street, next to the derelict white and teal house that has sat vacant for a number of years.
Kreizenbeck said Parks has approached the leaseholders of that house to negotiate the realignment of the lot lines over the years, but it is only in recent history that they have been receptive.
As part of the negotiation process, Parks has asked to acquire the 鈥渙rphaned鈥� Nettie Hale walkway, from Geikie Street to the alley, from the municipality.
鈥淸Parks] suggested it would make sense for them to take that piece of land off of us, and their intention is to offer it to the adjacent landowners, fill that in and regularize the street pattern on the north side of the walkway,鈥� Peter Waterworth, chief administration officer for the municipality, told council Oct. 1.
In exchange, Parks is offering a piece of land between the CN rail line and the parking lot at the corner of Connaught Drive and Hazel Avenue.
Council will vote on the land exchange at the Oct. 15 meeting.
Although the municipality will gain more than five times the land it鈥檚 giving up, Waterworth said the opportunity for more housing is a greater benefit to the community than the land.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the real benefit, of course, because what it does is instead of one house on one block, we鈥檙e going to have three. That is entirely consistent with the Sustainability Plan in terms of increasing density and using infill for building,鈥� he said.
Nicole Veerman
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