The Lunenburg Curling Club buzzed with over 120 curious residents on Tuesday night as they gathered to learn about the proposed development at the old Lunenburg Foundry site.
Hosted by Brad Boutilier of Lunenburg Shipyard and Jerry Nowee, the informal community information session aimed to gather feedback ahead of the required consultations for development and rezoning applications with the town.
Co-investor Nowee, who has a background in assisted living, outlined the vision for the project, which will unfold in three phases.
“Foundry Village” is the first phase of the development. The proposal is for a grouping of homes along a private lane on the south-west part of the property. This includes a set of 4 duplexes and 14 micro-homes for a total of 22 units.
The company is hoping to get approvals for construction in the spring of 2025 and budget approximately one year for completion of this phase.
Phase 2, titled “Foundry Manor”, will be a staffed assisted living new construction with 69 units. Nowee states this is intended to be self-managed. It will include meal services, housekeeping, an outdoor rooftop terrace and a shuttle service.
The proposal is 5 storeys with a 17,580 sq. ft. footprint.
A new two-way municipal street would be necessary to link Broad St. and Brook St. in a “U” shape to wrap around the building.
The anticipated timeline for construction is 16 months and could overlap with phase 1 construction.
The final phase, “Foundry Place”, will be a redevelopment of an existing building on site and is deemed the “affordable housing” option by Boutilier.
This residential building will hold 27 residential units and 2 commercial units. Boutilier specified that during their initial planning it was evident the main need in Lunenburg is for housing and not commercial space.
The building would be a mix between studio apartments, one-bedroom plus den units, and two-bedroom units.
Each unit would be accompanied by a parking space and 13 extra commercial parking spaces would be placed on the north-east side of the building. Boutilier stated the aim for average monthly rent prices is $1,600.
All units in all phases will be rentals.
Audience asked to share questions and concerns
After Nowee finished presenting, Boutilier opened the floor for attendees to ask questions. Thoughts and concerns ranged from parking allocations, rental costs, flood and environmental considerations and land remediation.
Boutilier remained optimistic in his responses, urging attendees to voice their true opinions now before he moves on with the project.
Several audience members shared their concerns for the size and footprint of the Foundry Manor building.
The lot is currently zoned for Marine Industrial. A member of the audience claimed that in his 12 years on the Planning Advisory Committee, no successful application was made in rezoning Marine Industrial.
The town Land-Use Bylaw also includes the lot in its flood risk area. The lot is not in the Heritage Conservation District or the Architectural Control Area.
Despite the concerns raised, the crowd responded enthusiastically, applauding the presentation. One voice even asked, “Can we sign up now?” regarding the assisted living facility, prompting nods of agreement from many attendees.
As the group walked to the site for a better visualization of the proposed spaces, Boutilier reflected on the session. “The majority of people support it… we really tried to balance everything we could to make it the best possible scenario,” he shared with The Barnacle. He expressed gratitude for the attendees’ honesty, stating, “I’d rather find out now and work through those challenges than face them in a town council meeting after we’ve invested significant time and energy. We don’t want to proceed unless it’s the right fit for Lunenburg.”
As the community continues to engage in this development process, the enthusiasm and concerns expressed at the session will undoubtedly shape the project’s direction, ensuring that it aligns with the needs and values of Lunenburg’s residents.
I thought the meeting was very positive. The boards with outlines of the three phases left no one in the dark. The gentlemen talking us through their vision to date were very respectful about buildings that would compliment the town. The presenters were open to ideas and made good sense. The meeting was so well attended it was quite remarkable.
Where do we sign up?
Wow, this looks like a very well thought out residential development that will benefit the residents of Lunenburg. I am a retired urban designer from Ottawa now living part time in Mahone bay. During my career I worked on many housing develops and I see that this is a good mix of housing types which will accomodate residents of various ages and income levels. Also it increases the residential density in the town in a way that is complementary with the existing housing forms. Thought should be given to incorporating a small parkette or green space corridor with a pathway , green space and trees along the waterfront for the benefit of all residents in the town. Lunenburg has an amazing water front but much of it is hardscape, green space and trees are needed and this location is perfect for some green along the water front. Well done and I hope this development proceeds.