During their meeting on May 19, several Town councillors expressed concerns regarding parking when they examined the proposed site plan for the Patel project-a five-storey mixed-use building featuring ground-floor commercial space and 27 residential rental units above, located on the west side of Goderich St., north of Mary St. in Port Elgin.
May 25, 2026 •
Several Town councillors raised parking concerns at their May 19 meeting when they viewed a proposed site plan for the Patel proposal – a five-storey mixed use building with ground floor commercial and 27 residential rental units on upper floors on the west side of Goderich St., north of Mary St. in Port Elgin. Photo by Town of Saugeen Shores
Two Saugeen Shores councillors voiced worries about sufficient parking for future tenants and visitors at a planned mixed-use development in Port Elgin during a review of a plan control application by an Ontario numbered company, under the name Patel.
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The proposal outlines a five-storey building with commercial spaces on the ground level and 27 rental apartments above, situated on the west side of Goderich St., north of Mary St., next to the Power Link building at Devonshire Rd.
A planning report indicated that out of the 27 residential units proposed, there will be 22 two-bedroom apartments and five three-bedroom apartments.
With coverage at 40 percent, the landscaped open space area surpasses the Town’s minimum requirement of 30 percent.
A terrace for apartment residents is planned above the parking level in the rear yard, alongside a six-foot-high privacy fence to screen off from Elgin Lodge.
Parking for tenants will be provided within the building on the first floor, partly below grade. Commercial parking will include two accessible spots located at ground level in front of the lot.
Staff mentioned that the proposed parking exceeds requirements with eight bicycle spots and 40 vehicle parking spaces-three designated as accessible-but Coun. Rachel Stack expressed an “open concern” regarding this arrangement.
“Forty spaces for 27 units seems a little low given the target demographic,” Stack said, raising questions about where visitors might park if they can’t find space underground since there’s limited availability nearby.
She suggested that visitor parking could extend into commercial spaces after hours. Hamm responded that visitor parking has been included within some underground options.
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Coun. Bud Halpin advocated for mixed-use developments as essential moving forward.
“I don’t want to see any more sprawling one-storey strip malls that waste a lot of land, and this is a great idea and I think it is a good-looking building…” Halpin stated.
Deputy Mayor Diane Huber pointed out that the Town’s Accessibility Advisory Committee emphasized having properly marked accessible parking spots near stores with barrier-free pathways.
Huber noted that although it isn’t specifically related to this development, clarification is needed regarding enforcement of accessibility parking bylaws concerning private properties with commercial elements.
“There is (enforcement) language…but it’s a little bit iffy-it encourages it but doesn’t make it required…” Huber commented.
Candace Hamm, manager of Development Services for the Town said potential options exist for landowners to pursue arrangements with them concerning enforcement issues related to private land parking-which could be explored further.
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