Council briefs: pigeons, planning motions and the Canadian Legion

The following are a selection of decisions made during tonight’s meeting of city council:

Former Brookfield Market to be converted to a single-dwelling house

City council approved a planning motion to rezone 899 Second Line West — most recently the Brookfield Market — from C.4: General Commercial Zone to C.4.S: General Commercial Zone with a Special Exception, allowing dwelling units on the ground floor.

The store, which currently has second floor apartments, will be converted to a single dwelling with a gable roof and much of the pavement surrounding the property will be converted to grass.

Former Alexander Muir school yard to be converted to multi-dwellings

Rezoning of the former Alexander Muir School property fronting on Simpson Street was approved by council tonight. The property, which was formerly the school yard, is now rezoned R.3.S: Low-density Residential Zone with a Special Exception, permitting two triplexes and one semi-detached dwelling, with a total of 8 units.

The motion was met with opposition by some neighbours, who were concerned the new dwellings would not fit in with the neighbourhood's many century-old homes. In the end, only Ward 2 councillor Susan Myers voted in opposition to the motion. Her ward-mate Sandra Hollingsworth, as well as councillors Joe Krmpotich and Lou Turco, were not present at tonight’s meeting.

Development of the former Alexander Muir School itself, with frontage on Kohler Street, will be determined at a later time.

Canadian Legion tax exemption status renewed

Without discussion, council voted to extend the tax-exempt status of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25, located on Great Northern Road, for another 10 years. Based on 2016 taxes, the annual cost to the city for offering the exemption is approximately $10,000. Section 6.1 of the Assessment Act allows for the tax exempt status of the Legion branches.

Extension of pigeon by-law unenforceable, says city staff 

Currently, the feeding of pigeons on private property is prohibited in the city of Sault Ste. Marie.

An August resolution, moved by Ward 2 councillor Susan Myers and seconded by her ward-mate Sandra Hollingsworth, asked city staff to make a recommendation whether or not to add a prohibition of feeding pigeons on public property.

In a letter to council dated Oct. 7, Freddie Pozzebon, chief building official, wrote in 10 years the city has received a total of six complaints about animals being fed on city property and enforcing the random acts of feeding would be unenforceable.

If an inspector were to have any chance of witnessing the act, wrote Pozzebon, “he would have to discontinue his current inspection and immediately drive to where feeding was taking place. This could involve driving from one end of the city to other to observer the occurrence.”

The staff report recommended no action be taken in changing the by-law.