Public access to gym added to Bruce Oake Recovery Centre plans

The latest plan a for an addictions treatment centre in west Winnipeg's Crestview neighbourhood calls for public access to a gym planned for the facility.

On Nov. 13, city council's Assiniboiacommunity committee will consider land-use changes that would allow the non-profit Bruce OakeMemorial Foundation to build a 50-bed addictions treatment centre at the former VimyArena site alongside Sturgeon Creek.

City planners are recommending the committee approve the proposal to build a new 21,000-square-foot building to accommodate what will be known as the Bruce OakeRecovery Centre, which they describe as "the only long-term treatment facility" in Winnipeg.

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The plans call for a secure facility with no detoxification programs on site. "All prospective residents must be clean and stabilized" before seeking treatment at the centre, the planners write.

Plans published by the city Wednesday are similar to those displayed at public open houses this past summer. One change is a separate public entrance to a gym planned for the centre as well as changing facilities for members of the public who intend to use the gym.

Public consultations held earlier this year revealed concerns about a loss of recreation amenities in Crestview.

The plans also call for the centre to set aside eight per cent of the three-acre site as a public reserve.

If Couns. Scott Gillingham (St. James), Janice Lukes(WaverleyWest) and Kevin Klein (Charleswood-Tuxedo)approve the planon Tuesday, the land-use changes for theaddictions-treatment centre must also be approved by city council's property committee, executive policy committee and ultimately council as a whole.

• Councillors OK sale of Vimy Arena for $1 to create Bruce Oake Recovery Centre

City council voted in January to sell theVimyArena site to the province for $1 to allow the treatment centre to be built.

Planners recommend rejection of Parkerproposal

City planners are urging councillors to reject a development plan for the Parker neighbourhood in Fort Garry.

In September, a court ordered council's City Centre community committee to hold a public hearing overland-use changes that would allow47 acres of Parker land to become a new development called Fulton Grove.

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Developer Andrew Marquess and his company Gem Equities argued the city was taking too long to approve the proposal, which calls for 950 structures, includingapartment buildings, townhomes, fourplexes, triplexes, duplexes and single-family homes.

A public hearing over the land-use changes is planned for Nov. 13. In a report published Wednesday, planners urged Couns. John Orlikow(River Heights-Fort Garry), Sherri Rollins(Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) and Cindy Gilroy(Daniel McIntyre) to reject the plan, partly because they contend broader planning framework should be developed for the area first.

The planners also contend the proposed development would be too dense for the area, ought to have one large central park and doesn't set aside any land to retain storm water.