The long history of 1269 St. Anne’s Road, the vanishing Bible Church, the broken promises from Irwin Homes, the rapid breakdown in trust with Progressive Real Estate, I shall leave to another time. For today, let’s look at the proposed building plans for the now 6-story apartment block to be built in the Creek Bend community.
As per usual the Riel Community Committee has allocated an hour for Reports next Wednesday morning, including plan approvals such as 1269/1275 St. Anne’s Road. In most instances that would be sufficient time. The main event at next Wednesday’s Riel Community Committee will follow Reports. It will be Affinity/Progressive’s ongoing battle with the Normand Park community and Henteleff Park over previous commitments (and the breaking of same) made regarding their massive St. Mary’s Road apartment project. Media have already done a stand-up interview with local councillor Markus Chambers at Henteleff Park. We should expect local media to have zero interest in something as mundane as plan approval for 1269 St. Anne’s Road.
Plan approval is usually something of a rubber stamp, but not always. In the case of Progressive’s former 180 Creek Bend apartment project, City administration did not recommend the proposed plan changes. The Riel CC’s decision to ignore those recommendations makes for another long story.
For the sake of transparency, Creek Bend residents should know that the owner of Progressive Real Estate gave Councillor Matt Allard a $750 political donation during the 2022 civic election campaign. I am sure that Councillor Allard would have revealed that at next week’s meeting anyway.
In the case of 1269 St. Anne’s Road, the CBRA was successful last year in halting the plan approval process. The new and improved building plans are now before the Riel CC.
City administration supports this application. The contentious curb cut onto Creek Bend Road is gone. This should be a fast rubber stamp. But perhaps not.
The 5-story apartment block that stretched down along St. Anne’s Road is now a shorter, L-shaped 6-story apartment block. The setting sun in the west will disappear that much quicker for existing condo residents at the Legend and The Woods.
There are no shadow studies associated with the plans for 1269 St. Anne’s Road. There is no discussion of seasonal shadows, angles, building setbacks. Nothing. While the 1269 St. Anne’s building plans contain no variances, they make full use of their minimum setbacks. The building will be built as close to its lot lines as is legally possible. As is their right.
Reading the provided building plans is difficult. One reason for that is Affinity’s insistence that the side of the building that is St. Anne’s Road is South. For comparison, the existing Creek Bend Road is essentially going straight North at this point. While it is obvious that the main façade is not South, that is their convention, I guess we have to use it. (The setting sun might disagree with Affinity Architecture.)
While the City commends Affinity’s plans for activating St Anne’s Road, several CRUs formerly located in the middle of the face have been replaced by a blank wall. The two small CRUs, at 954 and 983 square feet, will anchor a now windowless void at street level.
Winnipeggers demand balconies for their BBQs, and 1269 St. Anne’s Road is no exception. All of the 108 rental apartments will have a balcony, with balconies on all 4 sides (or is it really 6 sides) of the building. Many local condo residents will soon be facing new balconies.
The building’s main floor is now essentially an indoor parkade. Vehicular traffic will now use a garage door to the North. The new door and its associated driveway will replace the grass originally planned to be installed next to the Woods Phase 2.
The light standard installation plan for the parking lot that the CBRA asked for last time is still missing. The 6-foot fence that was requested is there. The 3 refuse enclosures are in a central node, away from the fence line, making for quick access. It looks like a sensible parking plan.
The new parking lot at the St. Anne’s Road sidewalk provides a light well in the central courtyard for the setting sun. This is a much less claustrophobic building layout.
The downside of this change, of course, is the extra building story. Reaction to this from local residents has been surprisingly muted so far. The question is, do local residents even know about this?
One mystery is the “Utility Easement” indicated between the new building’s wall and the Legend property. Is this easement for an existing utility, or is it for a future utility installation?
It is probably best that CBRA takes direction from its membership over the weekend before commenting further.
The Riel Community Committee meeting is in only 5 days.
