Civil Municipal - June 2024

met by the end of 2025,” he asserts. “The upgrading of the existing network from 4g to 5g has taken place, and we have been fielding several tower applications over the last couple of years and approving them.” ADDRESSING HOUSING CHALLENGES Elizabethtown-Kitley is pioneering innovative housing solutions, including a partnership with Campus Habitations to develop workforce housing on a 30-acre former fairgrounds site. This project will feature 320 affordable rental units with 680 beds total and is a welcome addition to the growing township. Uniquely, the project will offer a variety of options, from single- room suites with a shared kitchen to multi-bedroom apartments, as well as recreational amenities including walking trails, a basketball court, a beach volleyball court, and a rink. “What they have planned is a three- phase build out, very attractive rental units in sort of two and three pod architectural structures, a total of 14 buildings,” depicts the mayor. “It’s a very, very exciting partnership. We’ve signed a land lease arrangement with them. And we have partnered with Brockville to submit an application for the provincial government’s Housing-Enabling Water Systems (HEWS) fund, to enable us to get water and sewer extended out to that property. Hopefully we’re successful, as that’s a critical element of that particular project.” This initiative was spurred by the realization through the St. Lawrence Corridor Economic Development Commission that as their efforts to attract new business to the community were successful, they were creating more pressure on the already existing housing challenges.“We pivoted a little bit, and although our resources are limited, we said we have to try and spend some energy bringing developers of scale to the region,” Burrow describes. “If we create 300 jobs, we better have a developer or a pool of developers that are building 300 houses.” In addition, the township has acquired 140 acres on the Brockville border, with plans for a mixed-use development, focused on boosting industry and bringing housing options. “Council about 40 years ago had the foresight to set up the commercial park that we all take for granted now.And it was our turn when we were faced with that opportunity to do the same thing for future generations,” maintains Burrow. “Whether this council ever sees the direct dollar benefit from the development of that new 140-acre property, I wouldn’t put a lot of 49 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 06 EL IZABETHTOWN-KI TLEY, ON