Council gives green light for campus to be built on Civic lands, former school site
Jun 30, 2009 - 11:30 AM
By Jillian Follert
OSHAWA -- A new Trent University campus in Oshawa is a go.
On Monday night, Oshawa council unanimously approved an official plan amendment to allow a university campus on a portion of the former Civic Auditorium site and former St. Michael Catholic School site.
Councillors also voted to offer Trent a 75-year option to lease the Civic lands, at a cost of $1 per year.
Trent officials still need to finalize an agreement with the school board to buy the former elementary school and are still in the process of applying for federal funding -- but neither of those is expected to be a roadblock.
"We're moving along quite nicely in terms of an agreement with the school board," said Don O'Leary, Trent's vice president of administration. "And we will go ahead with or without the federal funding."
Mr. O'Leary said he expects renovations to start by September.
Trent will spend up to $22 million building the satellite campus on two pieces of property -- the northern portion of the Civic Auditorium site on Thornton Road and the former St. Michael's Catholic School site on Vancouver Court.
While councillors had nothing but glowing endorsement for the project Monday night, some residents have expressed concerns about the new addition to their neighbourhood.
About 40 people turned out for a public meeting on June 3, and most were against the Trent proposal citing concerns about student housing, increased traffic and on-street parking on nearby residential streets.
Councillors say they are taking proactive steps on the student housing front.
City staff have been directed to prepare a report for the fall that looks at extending the rental licensing bylaw in place near Durham College and UOIT, to the neighbourhoods surrounding the new Trent campus.
But Mr. O'Leary doesn't think student housing will be an issue.
"The profile of our student body is not such that there is a big demand for student housing," he said, reiterating a point that he has made at several public meetings. "We're going to be a good neighbour, we will do everything we can to ensure we're respectful of the neighbourhood."
Mr. O'Leary said that means building proper parking lots, creating a buffer between the school and residential area and closing off access to Vancouver Street to discourage street parking in the neighbourhood.
A recent City staff report says the lease between Trent and the City will provide for shared parking between the campus and the Civic to free up more spaces and recommends that paid parking not be permitted on the campus, so there is no incentive to park on neighbouring streets.
The new Trent campus will be at full occupancy by 2015 with an estimated 2,000 students and 190 staff.
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