Nordik's hotel pitch leaves Chelsea politicians in tricky spot
CEO says the company will proceed with less appealing option if council denies variance
By Susan Burgess, CBC News Posted: Sep 27, 2017 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Oct 02, 2017 3:48 PM ET
With just weeks to go before a civic election, municipal councillors in Chelsea, Que., have a tough choice to make about a proposed hotel.
Nordik Group, which owns the popular Nordik Spa-Nature, plans to build a hotel with 60 rooms on the site. But the company's preferred design would require council to allow a bigger, taller building than is permitted under the existing regulations.
The proposal was first revealed to the general public at a meeting of Chelsea's planning committee in early September. The council vote is expected Oct. 2.
Vote too soon, residents say
"I think most of us heard about it last night on Facebook," said resident Andy Ball on Tuesday. "I don't think there's enough consideration given to residents as to how to shape their own village."
Development is a contentious issue in Chelsea. Residents expect hundreds of new homes will spring up following the recent installation of new water and sewer infrastructure, and many fear the loss of the community's rural character.
Giving an exemption to one developer could pave the way for others, Ball said, with the result that Chelsea eventually becomes "yet another suburb."
With an election looming, at least one municipal councillor would also prefer to put off the decision.
"The current council is a bit of a lame duck council," said Coun. Barbara Martin. "I personally don't think we should be taking important decisions that have an impact on the future of Chelsea at this time."
If councillors don't approve the minor variance next week, it'll be a "bad project," said Nordik Group CEO Martin Paquette.
The municipality's current bylaws disallow buildings higher than 12 metres, and the area cannot exceed 1,500 square metres. To build the hotel in a way that abides by the rules would require three two-storey buildings, said Paquette, because a hotel of fewer than 60 rooms would not be financially viable for the company.
The design permitted under Chelsea's current rules would put buildings right along Old Chelsea Road.
More than 200 trees would have to be removed, and because of topography, the buildings would be built about 60 metres from the spa complex, in a spot close to Old Chelsea Road — and be much more visible to those arriving in the community.
Paquette said the company doesn't want to participate in a "tree massacre," and is instead proposing a single building of 3,900 square metres and an average height of 16 metres, immediately adjacent to the spa.
Placing it there would make it much less visible from the road and eliminate the need for more parking spaces, he said.
It would also reduce the building's carbon footprint, because the building could make use of energy from the excess heat generated by a nearby mechanical room.
"We are doing a project that is a lot more eco-friendly, we are saving trees, and yes, we are asking for a minor variance," Paquette said.
Nordik Group's proposed design for the hotel would place it further back from the road, but would require Chelsea municipal councillors to approve a minor variance.
If council doesn't grant the variance, he said, the company will simply proceed with the less appealing option permitted by law.
"This right now is not a question of whether Nordik will build a hotel or not. There will be a hotel," Paquette said. "We are building a hotel in 2018."
Nordik Group's preferred plan has the support of Bruce Langer, co-owner of Bougie Doozy Candle and president of the local business association, of which Nordik Spa-Nature is a member.
Chelsea is in serious need of overnight accommodation for visitors, Langer said, and the municipality needs the tax revenue from the business to pay for the new water and sewer system.
"The only way to avoid going back to the existing ratepayers and increasing their taxes is to develop a broader tax base in Chelsea," he said. "And that means more homes and more businesses."
However, resistance to change is a hallmark of the community, Langer said, and the situation is not helped by a municipal planning process which fails to inform and include residents properly in the lead-up to decisions.
"With a lack of information, there is a great deal of suspicion, and also misinformation and the spreading of misinformation."
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa...spot-1.4308173
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