2023-09-20

Community organization regroups after council cancels land deal motion

BRIDGEWATER - The door seems to have closed on the prospect of the South Shore Open Doors Association (SSODA) leading an affordable housing project on a half-hectare east side site near the H.B. Studios Sports Centre.

Town council recently revoked a motion that agreed to sell the undeveloped vacant land to SSODA. At the time of motion, SSODA, which would have acquired the site for $1, had to meet specific requirements before proceeding on a plan to build four-to-five modular triplex buildings, room for 14 units, plus office space.

Originally, the build was to be phased-in over four years with the first housing occupancy happening within a year of the land conveyance.

Since the original land deal authorization, the scope of the project doubled to include intent for 14 market housing units, in addition to the office space and 14 affordable units.

For elected representatives, SSODA's change in intent formed grounds for them to start a new public process and, as part of that process, the motion to sell the land had to be cancelled.

Bridgewater's mayor said council can still consider SSODA proposals, just not the one that went through a public hearing earlier this year. "It doesn't mean that we're not going to partner," David Mitchell said in a recent phone interview. "What council wants is affordable housing and we want it quickly and it comes down to who can provide affordable housing quickly and complete it quickly. It could be SSODA."

In August, SSODA sought clarification as to the town's expectations and intentions, among other information, as a stakeholder in the project.

One of the original conditions linked to the land agreement was SSODA's requirement to produce a business plan, which the town wanted to "show how the project can sustain itself," reads a public summary of what was said in August during an informal discussion session. However, the business plan at that time left "many unanswered questions," the summary to council reads.

Kristi Tibbo, SSODA's chief executive, didn't respond to a request to comment for this story.

SSODA formed in 2021 to boost resources for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.

More recently, town council agreed to a conditional sale of the land in question to the Housing Trust of Nova Scotia, which plans to convert the site into housing for health-care workers.

During the Sept. 11 town council meeting, Bridgewater's chief administrator, Tammy Crowder, said municipal staff are working with SSODA to try and establish partnerships with others to help with the group's housing goals. Bridgewater is also passing along land availability information.

The ongoing discussions, Mitchell explained to council, "to me, seems like a great win-win for" SSODA.