When work began on phase one of the project known as Pinegrove Place – the one-storey 12-unit building opened to residents last year – preparatory work for a second phase was also completed.
“At the time the overall planning process was put in place for phase one and phase two and so the official plan amendments and zoning amendments that allowed this to go forward were put in place at that time” consultant Tim Welch reminded councillors during an Oct. 11 committee-of-the-whole meeting. Welch compiled the business case for the project for the Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes Housing Corporation.

Phase two of the project would consist of a three-storey 21-unit building that would include one- two- and three-bedroom units. It would include a mix of affordable and market-rate rentals affordable units considered to be those that rent for 80 per cent of the market rate. The average rate for a one-bedroom rental unit in the City of Kawartha Lakes now exceeds $1000 a month; $1450 for a three-bedroom unit.

The timeline proposed by Welch would see shovels in the ground in April of 2019 and occupancy of the building a year later in the spring of 2020.
The housing corporation will contribute $1.2 million to the estimated $4-million project.
“For new housing to come together it is costly it does require financial contributions to come together from different levels of government and different housing providers” Welch said.

From the Township of Minden Hills the housing corporation is seeking donation of the land (phase two will be located immediately south of phase one); survey and appraisal fees; the waiver of site plan and building permit fees; and site plan amendment fees. The combined value of those requests not including the value of the land is approximately $32000.
The housing corporation will also be approaching Haliburton County council for a financial contribution to the project. The county contributed $100000 to the project’s first phase.

“In the first round this council made investments based upon the likelihood of a phase two so this is a great day” said Mayor Brent Devolin.
In the lead-up to construction of phase one the township spent about $300000 on various work including the relocation of the skatepark and a quonset hut realignment of trails in the area and roads work.

“The housing corporation is using its own financial resources to make this possible” said Devolin who’s sat on the corporation board during the present council term. “There is criticism sometimes that because some of these things are principally facilitated out of the City of Kawartha Lakes that we don’t get our fair share. And I would say if you ever wanted evidence that that’s not true on any level the fact that the housing corporation is willing to move forward on this with its own resources on behalf of Haliburton principally in Minden Hills this is a really big thing.”