Modular apartment project offers more units, smaller space: developer

A 32-unit affordable housing project is offering more units in the same building footprint by shrinking the size, the developers told Sussex council Monday.

Council voted for first and second reading for the proposed modular housing project on Marble Street by Clayton Developments. The land, which has no civic address, is zoned medium-density residential, but developers asked to have it zoned as high-density in order to boost the unit count from 22 to 32.

"The ways that we're managing cost in order to get to those attainable rents are through modular innovation, increased unit count and decreased unit sizes," said Stephanie Mah Trottier, director of design and sustainability for Clayton Developments.

At the meeting, Sussex Mayor Marc Thorne said he appreciated the application, saying it "fills a critical niche in our community in regard to housing, affordable housing"

"I don't think you're going to have vacant units for very long, people are desperate for housing," he said. "We've had a tremendous amount of investment in our community the last few years, but ... we've been missing what you offer."

Clayton Developments is a part of the Shaw Group, which also owns Sussex-based Prestige Homes, which will be providing the modular units for the project. Mah Trottier said they will be lowered onto the foundation, and that similar techniques have been used on Freeze Court for smaller buildings.

"As we use more units, we're ... spreading the cost of the foundation and the services across more units," said Mah Trottier, saying there's $5 million in cost savings versus the same development in typical sizes.

The original application called for 33 units, but they lost one by "pushing and pulling staircases," Mah Trottier said. The building saves space by having centralized laundry, no second bathroom and smaller bedrooms.

A two-bedroom unit will have 592 square feet, and a one-bedroom will have 440 square feet, which includes one bedroom, a bathroom and a combined living room kitchen, which Mah Trottier said was "small but livable."

"They are small but livable unit sizes," she said, comparing them to a unit average of 890 square feet, saying the 22-unit, full-size version would be 20,000 square feet larger.

Mah Trottier says the options for lot location include having the building near the north property line, fronting on Marble Street, or on the south, which encroaches on the vegetation. Either way, there would be a landscape barrier with the existing backyards on Carriage Lane, she said. There's also 100 square metres of allocated amenity space, but they haven't decided what will go there, she said.

In the application, Mah Trottier writes that the purpose of the project is to house employees for the Shaw Group, with additional units to help achieve target rents. In an email, Mah Trottier said that they hadn't finalized the application process, but it's "likely" that units would be offered to employees, with some units also available to the general public.

The town received a letter of objection from residents on Carriage Lane concerned about the building worsening the situation regarding storm water pooling in their backyard, including a photo of standing water in winter. They also included concerns regarding management of garbage and light pollution, which they say are issues with another apartment building in the area.

"My wife and I wish to thank you for the opportunity to voice our concerns," Ian Rennie told council.

Mah Trottier said they were aware of storm water management challenges, the only additional runoff will be from the top of the building, which will be directed to a storm drain. She said they will screen the solid waste containers, and use desiccant rodent traps, and will abide by town bylaws for lighting and ensure the lights shine down, not out.

Rennie confirmed that Trottier's answers responded to his concerns.

The town's planning review, conducted by Stephen Stone of Dillon Consulting, found that the design had appropriate setbacks and landscaping, featured age-friendly unit sizes and good access to arterial roads. After the rezoning passed the first and second reading, it will return for final approval at the next meeting.

"We recognize that there's a housing crisis, we recognize that younger people, younger families are having an extremely difficult time to find affordable housing," Thorne told Brunswick News, saying many newer projects have been "high-end."

"We think this development is a perfect opportunity for at least 32 individuals or families to find a place to live."

Thorne said that while the building will house some Shaw Group employees, the intent appears to be to recognize the overall need from businesses for housing to accommodate their workforces.

Andrew Bates, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Telegraph-Journal