Cathy Dobson/The Independent

It’s far from over, says the Inn of the Good Shepherd’s Myles Vanni.

The non-profit that he manages intends to appeal city council’s rejection of a contentious rezoning application that would allow the Inn to build a 62-unit affordable housing project at the southwest corner of Exmouth and Melrose streets.

Vanni says the Inn’s board has received legal advice that they made a “strong application” and have a “good chance” of winning an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

“This location is ideal for low income folks and checks all the boxes,” said Vanni, after council narrowly turned down the project in a 5-4 recorded vote.

The Inn’s board of directors is willing to take it to the land tribunal but first wants to see if the application can be adjusted and taken back to council for reconsideration.

The original proposal has a 56-unit, six-storey apartment building and a six-unit townhouse complex on a 1.58-acre (0.64-hectare) property, which consolidates four parcels of land. Several councillors said that amount of development would be too dense and not allow for enough parking. Vanni is hopeful that removing the townhouses will free up space for more parking and some parkland.

At a time when the city critically needs thousands of units of affordable housing, the Inn wants to build apartments that can be rented for $800 – $1,000 a month on the site where it currently operates a temporary emergency shelter in the former Laurel Lea-St. Matthews Presbyterian Church. 

The 40-bed shelter opened two years ago amid Sarnia’s growing homelessness crisis and is frequently at capacity, filled with the city’s hardest to house.

Neighbours regularly complain that the shelter has brought violence, theft, open drug use and property damage to the area. For months,  they have called for the shelter to be shut down.

Now they fear that if it is replaced with affordable housing, the same problems will arise.

 “We are concerned about what could evolve there,” said neighbourhood spokesman Tony Gioiosa who owns commercial property on both sides of the shelter.    

At a March 3 public meeting, Gioiosa presented a petition signed by 265 neighbours and urged council to reject the Inn’s request for rezoning and official plan amendments. 

“We aren’t against affordable housing but we don’t want it there,” said Gioiosa.  “We don’t understand why they don’t go build it on property next to the health unit (about 15 blocks away at Exmouth and Front streets).”  He called the proposal “overdevelopment.”

“The neighbours just don’t believe that affordable housing is for a different group than the one living there now,” said Vanni.  “They don’t trust me.”

Vanni said he was “shocked and disappointed” by council rejection, especially after city planners recommended approval of the Inn’s application.

“The city is sending a message that Sarnia is not interested in people having affordable housing,” he said.  “The message is really worrisome. 

“Clearly NIMBYism won out.”

Meanwhile, there is no specific date for the controversial shelter to close even though the neighbours have been pressing for it.

Vanni said the hope is that it won’t be needed once a new “Hart Hub” opens 30 longer-term transitional beds in Sarnia. The provincially-funded Hart (Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment) Hub was announced in January just prior to the Ontario election.

Vanni calls it “the light at the end of the tunnel,” but it’s not known when it will open.

Valerie Colasanti, Lambton County’s general manager of social services, said it’s possible a new resource centre that supports the Hart Hub will open by the end of 2025. However, that doesn’t mean the beds will open by then.    

In an interview with The Independent, Colasanti said the situation remains challenging.  “We have no exact date to close the shelter,” she said.  “There are too many moving parts and there are still individuals living outside.

“Once we have the Hart Hub, additional supports, and hopefully more affordable housing, we can start envisioning the shelter will no longer be needed.”

 Gioiosa and other shelter neighbours attended a meeting this week with Lambton County reps, the Inn, and the property owner of the temporary shelter.

“Awkward is probably a good way to describe (the meeting),” Gioiosa said. “I asked for a time line about when the shelter will shut down and didn’t get one. But, on a positive note, at least everyone is discussing it.”

HOW THEY VOTED

FOR THE PROJECT: Mayor Mike Bradley, Coun. Adam Kilner, Coun. Brian White and Coun. Dave Boushy.

AGAINST THE PROJECT: Coun. Bill Dennis, Coun. Terry Burrell, Coun. Anne Marie Gillis, Coun. Chrissy McRoberts and Coun. George Vandenberg.