The developer of a six-storey apartment building planned on Murphy Road is working on a funding application for it to become a net zero structure.
An official plan amendment for the 45-unit building, with a guest suite, at 1331 Murphy Rd. near Michigan Avenue, was approved by Sarnia council in January.
Wellington Ridge Developments Project Manager Brian Mundt thinks the sustainable structure will be really great for the city.
"To our knowledge, we'd be the first (net zero project) in Sarnia and potentially we'd be one of few in southwestern Ontario," said Mundt.
He said the objective is to equal the building's energy use, to its energy generation.
"Solar panels are a way of generating energy on site and then you want solutions on how to reduce the amount of energy that your building produces," said Mundt. "An example for that was looking at ground source, or air source, heat pumps. So, a way of heating and cooling resident rooms, finding ways to reduce our environmental impact on that, while having the solar panels generating the electricity to offset that use."
The proposed project will also provide affordable rents to 51 per cent of the units, as defined by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
The target crowd for occupancy would be women over the age of 60, who've been identified as a vulnerable group in the County of Lambton Housing and Homeless strategy.
Mundt said an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal, by a neighbour, will not stop them from applying for the funding.
"Our initial timeline was that we wanted to start construction in the spring of 2023. So, if we experience time delays, that's when we will start to see it."
Neighbours previously expressed concerns to council about the apartment, and its height, not being a good fit for the area.
Sarnia council agreed to provide the developer with a letter of support to be submitted to the Sustainable Affordable Housing Program offered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities at its March 21 meeting.
The existing Greek Orthodox Church and childcare centre uses at the site would remain.
