Debates of February 18, 2005 (day 39)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs some continued questions on the potential development at the sandpits in relation to the housing approach.

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Mr. Speaker, affordable housing in any community is something that I welcome. I champion this initiative.

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But I also look for sustainable long-term compatible development. In this sense, Mr. Speaker, I wanted to ask the Minister if we’re looking at what has been suggested would be, say, a 400-unit, actually a satellite community perhaps, what obligations would MACA have in terms of funding the infrastructure for such a community development? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.

Return To Question 430-15(3): Responsibility For Funding Housing Infrastructure Development

Mr. Speaker, that’s a very, in my opinion, hypothetical question. There is no detail provided to the Member, I don’t believe, on any plans for a housing development. Right now, the request has come to us to do some seismic work. There is an interest potentially for housing. We have not gone as far as deciding who will pay for what and deciding what our responsibilities are going to be in that area. If it is something the city approves, there will be a requirement for services. They will have to work with the city on that issue. Right now, there are costs for providing services in the airport area that I can share with the Member; that is, trucked services. I’m assuming that would be the same. If there was a requirement for piped water or a piped system, the cost would be borne by I’m not sure who at this point. It’s going to be very costly in any event. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Braden.

Supplementary To Question 430-15(3): Responsibility For Funding Housing Infrastructure Development

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that costs would more or less be at the expense of the developer and then, of course, the occupants or the customers, but surely there are purely public infrastructure costs. Would we be potentially looking at, say, the need for a new fire hall or schools or parks or recreation? These are very distinct responsibilities at the territorial level. So I just want to get a sense, Mr. Speaker, what kind of obligations would we be looking ahead to, to perhaps enable this to happen? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. Mr. McLeod.

Further Return To Question 430-15(3): Responsibility For Funding Housing Infrastructure Development

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, once again I think these questions are very premature. We have no plans for putting any infrastructure there. There seems to be an assumption that there is a new community being developed and we’re going to start putting in fire halls and everything else. No, we have no plans to provide any infrastructure at this point. We haven’t even seen an application. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.