By TERRY PUGH
Martensville City Council voted at its meeting on February 18 to approve a discretionary use application from the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC) to build a two-unit dwelling at the corner of 6th Avenue South and 5th Street South in Martensville.
The property at 514 – 5th Street North is owned by the SHC. A single-family rental unit that was previously located on the site was destroyed by fire in December, 2023. That unit, which was lost to the fire, was owned by SHC and administered by the Martensville Housing Authority (MHA). The new two-unit dwelling would also be administered by the MHA board, which is made up of local people from the community.
The property is zoned R1-Residential, where two-unit dwellings are categorized as a discretionary use and require the approval of council.
While the SHC application meets the requirements laid out by the city’s zoning bylaw, the proposal drew criticism from nearby residents who voiced concerns about the switch from a single-unit dwelling to a duplex.
At a meeting on January 14, council deferred a decision on whether to approve the discretionary use application from SHC on the project. In response, the developer modified some architectural features of the building to mitigate the impact on the neighbourhood.
The SHC is an agency of the Ministry of Social Services. It provides housing and housing services to people who otherwise cannot afford adequate and safe shelter. The SHC owns roughly 18,000 units in 260 communities in Saskatchewan, which in turn are managed by local housing authorities, such as the MHA.