Killarney Guide

$6.5 million project approved

BY JAY STRUTH

Location, location, location.

That was the word of the evening, and the main concern, on Wednesday at the Shamrock Centre, during the public hearing for a 32-unit apartment complex on Killarney’s central green space area, beside the Co-op gas bar.

Several people spoke in opposition to the project’s location, citing a detrimental effect on the town’s well-used green space. The apartment complex will take up just over half of it, and the four-storey building will stand 40 feet tall.

The need for the apartments was not in question by those opposed to the project, just the location.

Jason Roblin, CEO of Vionell Holdings Partnership, spoke in favour of the location, citing its central proximity in town as ideal for both seniors and families. Roblin presented on behalf of the project’s applicant, the Killarney Multi-Family Development Corporation.

“I think you’d still enjoy the green space on a different scale,” said Roblin, while trying to address some of the concerns that were raised at the meeting. “We want green space. That’s one of the reasons we want to build here – there’s green space. It’s perfect. Kids can still play, people can enjoy their lunch out there, and do everything they’re used to doing. We don’t want to stop that. That’s why the area is attractive.”

Rick Pauls, restaurant owner and Killarney’s previous mayor, thanked the company for their interest in building in Killarney.

“I hope that what you heard here today is that Killarney is very interested in multi-family housing,” said Pauls. “The only concern I’ve heard here is the location. I’m not here to speak for or against the location. But nobody is against housing here and we need investment in housing. We’re going to lose businesses, and we’re going to lose services if we can’t get staff in the future, and they need housing.”

All others spoke in opposition to the proposed complex’s location, and first up to the mic was retired schoolteacher Dianne Taylor, who used to teach at the K-2 school that once sat in the middle of the green space there.

“The green space is the only large public area on the east side of Broadway,” said Taylor. “A multiple family, 32-suite, 40 foot high building, with parking spots and entrance roads, seems a very poor swap for what we have now. Also, please remember, once it’s here we’re stuck with it,” continued Taylor, who went on to quote Canadian singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell: “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. They paved paradise, put up a parking lot.”

Letters, both for and against the application, were read aloud prior to the live presentations. 

Killarney-Turtle Mountain Council voted unanimously in favour of the project at a special meeting held on Thursday morning. Killarney Mayor Merv Tweed said he was very proud of council’s decision to approve the conditional use order for the apartment complex.

“This moves Killarney to the forefront of southwest Manitoba as a community that’s desirable to live in,” said Tweed. “We offer all of the amenities here: healthcare, dental care, eye care, pharmacy. These are the things people are looking for when they’re looking for a place to live, and we now offer the accommodation side as well.”

The green space apartment complex site will now be sold for $225,000 to the Killarney Multi-Family Development Corporation, with those funds going directly into the Killarney Community Development Corporation coffers, said the mayor. 

“The money from the sale of the property will go to our Community Development Corporation, which will then have more funds to continue with the development of our town, and business opportunities, and everything that a development corporation would do,” added Tweed.

Work on the apartment complex site will begin in October, and it will take about one year for the project to be completed.

APPLICANT PRESENTATION – Jason Roblin (left), CEO of Vionell Holdings Partnership, was the only live presenter at Wednesday night’s public hearing to speak in favour of the Broadway green space location for a 32 unit multi-family dwelling. Roblin presented on behalf of the applicant, the Killarney Multi-Family Development Corporation. Seated beside him (from left) are: the new Assistant CAO Brittney Ross, Planning Officer Jesse Hansen, CAO Meghan Cuvelier Klassen, Mayor Merv Tweed and councillors. View sketches of the complex plans below.

AERIAL SKETCH OF APARTMENT COMPLEX – A sketch of the approved apartment complex plans (above), complete with 48 parking spaces around the building on the north, south and west sides. See more below, including the 32-unit four-storey construction in Portage la Prairie, which is the same model and size as the one to be built in Killarney.

WHAT WILL THE APARTMENTS LOOK LIKE? – Above, the 32-unit four-storey construction in Portage la Prairie, which is the same model and size being proposed by the Killarney Multi-Family Development Corporation for the green space location on Mountain Avenue.