W. Reiner, 15 Armour St, advised that she was a proponent of long-term care, but did not agree with the proposed design of the building. She inquired about whether these types of buildings would be considered best practice in long-term care. She requested that Council not approve the Demolition Permit request.
M. Brown, Activity Aide, Southbridge, advised Council that the residents and staff of Hope Terrace and Regency were looking forward to a new building, as the current buildings were outdated. She requested that Council take the needs of the current residents and staff of the facilities into consideration when making a decision regarding the Demolition Permit request.
E. White, 51 Mill St, expressed concerns regarding the Ministerial Zoning Order that was issued by the Province for 65 Ward Street. He expressed further concerns regarding the condition of the current buildings on that property.
S. Ansley, Staff Member, Southbridge, provided comments in support of a new building on the property at 65 Ward Street. She requested that Council consider the seniors that were living in the current facilities when making their decision regarding the Heritage Demolition Permit.
D. Turck, provided comments in support of providing Port Hope seniors with a decent living facility that addressed their varied needs.
D. Irwin, 60 Francis St, expressed concerns regarding the building design. She expressed further concerns about residents' access to outdoor space in the proposed design.
L. Carr, 26 Ontario St, advised Council that after declaring a "Climate Emergency", it would be counterintuitive to approve a Demolition Permit request, which was environmentally unfriendly. She requested that Council deny the Demolition Permit, and listen to the voices of the residents attending the meeting. She inquired about whether youth had been engaged in discussions regarding this matter. She further expressed concerns regarding transparency in making decisions regarding this matter.
A. DaCosta, Vice President, Development, Southbridge, advised that the proposed building design included ample outdoor space, and Southbridge had exceeded most of the guidelines in the Ministry of Long-Term Care design guide.
T. Jenkins, provided comments regarding the design of other homes that Southbridge had built in other localities.
S. Marcuz, 6 Caroline St , provided information regarding access to home healthcare.
D. Erland 46 Ward St, provided comments against the approval of the Demolition Permit request.
E. Shaw, 53 Hope St, advised that if this proposed building was not built then the current facilities would be closed, which would result in the current residents being shifted to other locations, possibly in other municipalities. She requested that Council consider the residents of the facilities when making their decision. She also inquired about the cost to taxpayers if the municipality had to fight a potential appeal with respect to this matter.
T. Brown, 29 William St, advised that she had worked at Hope Street Terrace for 45 years. She advised that the people who resided in the building were more important than the building itself.
M. Brown, 46 Ward St, provided comments regarding Southbridge Care Homes.
Unknown, advised that she is a staff member at Hope Street Terrace. She inquired about what would happen to the current residents if the facility were to close, which it was going to be in about a year.
J. Munro, provided comments regarding the design model that Southbridge Care Homes uses.