P.E.I. government pitches 30-unit seniors housing building to Three Rivers council

The P.E.I. government is asking the Town of Three Rivers to rezone a property on Rosedale Road in Montague for the construction of a seniors housing building. Guardian file The province is looking to build 30 new seniors housing units on Rosedale Road in Montague. The P.E.I. government is asking the Town of Three Rivers to rezone the property from community to high density residential to allow the project to move forward. Thea Campbell, with the Department of Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy, presented the proposal during a special council meeting on Aug. 31. The roughly 12-acre property is the former site of Riverview Manor. Three residential buildings remain on the site and currently have a total of 32 units. Campbell said the proposed 30-unit building would be for people on the province’s social housing registry and would not be market-rate housing. She said as of July, there were 42 seniors in Kings County who were on the senior’s housing registry. Residents would generally have to be 60 or older, or 55 and older if they have a disability. Eligibility will also depend on factors such as income, housing costs, the condition of a person’s current home and health. Campbell said the province reviewed housing needs assessments for Three Rivers and Kings County. She said seniors housing and affordable housing were identified as priorities. Space to grow The province is proposing one three-storey, 30-unit building and a parking area. The plan also sets aside space for a possible second building and more parking in the future. Campbell said there are currently no plans to build the second building, but the province wants to make sure there is space available if it is needed later. Coun. Wayne Spin asked whether 30 units would be enough as the senior population grows. Read More Brand new, $15 million Riverview Manor opens in Three Rivers Montague's Riverview Manor property could be used for housing: Mundy “I just think 30 is going to accommodate the people now. But where are we gonna live?” Spin said. Campbell said the province looked at the expected growth in the senior population over the next 20 years, the number of people on the housing registry and the amount of space available on the property. She said the site can accommodate two buildings of about 30 units each under the current proposal. “We didn’t want to put one building in the middle of the site and then not have anywhere else to build,” Campbell said. Campbell said…