Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley is optimistic that the council will back the staff’s recommendation to approve Indwell’s updated plan during an Ontario Land Tribunal meeting.
Indwell first put forward a 50-unit supportive housing project on unused land at 353 George St., which was given by the County of Lambton.
An updated proposal submitted in January included a five-storey, 35-unit apartment building featuring 27 parking spots, a loading area, amenity space, office space, and bike parking.
However, the Committee of Adjustment (COA) turned down the application on February 10 due to concerns over “alleged overdevelopment of the site,” according to a report for the council.
Since then, Indwell has appealed the COA’s decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal, and a case management conference is set for May 6.
This Monday, city council will be faced with two choices: either instruct staff to hire external legal help and attend the OLT hearing to support planning staff’s recommendation for approving Indwell’s revised application or seek external legal and planning advice to uphold the COA’s rejection.
“There’s been a lot of compromise by Indwell on the property. It’s gone from supportive housing to affordable housing; there’s been a drop in units from 50 down to 35; there have been other changes made,” said Bradley in an interview with Sarnia News Today. “My hope is if council really believes that our role is to move affordable housing forward, it would be to support our professional staff and their professional advice that this is a good project.”
Hiring external legal support might cost around $400 to $600 per hour.
An outside planner (needed if council backs the COA’s refusal) could run up costs of about $60,000 to $80,000.
Bradley acknowledges that seeking external assistance can be frustrating due to added expenses.
“I would hope we could mitigate that cost and just move forward,” he stated.
While it’s not recommended, council can choose not to take action and wait for a ruling from the OLT.
The contentious project has drawn mixed reactions from residents and sparked significant discussions among council members. Bradley anticipates Monday’s vote will be close.
“If we don’t support this as a council, the message we’re sending on affordable housing isn’t positive,” he noted.
Bradley confirmed that changing from supportive housing to affordable housing would alter who qualifies for renting units.
The revised application indicated that proposed apartment units would be rented at affordable rates for at least ten years.
In October 2025, city council passed a motion directing staff to collaborate with Sarnia Police Service and county personnel in developing an official safety plan related to any new Indwell housing facility.
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