Residents upset as former Sault church turned into illegal rooming house

CTV News

02-06-2025

Staff recommends deferring a decision on the rezoning because the owner of the 99 Melville Rd. property didn't give proper notice to the neighbourhood about a public input meeting.
City council in Sault Ste. Marie is expected to defer a decision on whether to legalize a rooming house that was built without the proper zoning and permits.
Staff recommends deferring a decision at tonight's council meeting because the owner of the 99 Melville Rd. property didn't give proper notice to the neighbourhood about a public meeting to hear concerns about the rezoning application.
'It was brought to staff's attention that public notices for the applicant's neighbourhood meeting may not have been received in a timely manner,' said a staff report on the application.
Notices sent day before meeting
'In fact, there is evidence that the applicant may not have circulated certain notices until the day before the meeting.'
Planning staff attended the April 24 meeting and found that no neighbours showed up. The report recommends delaying a decision, scheduling another meeting with city staff mailing out notices themselves informing residents in the area.
Several people have since written to the city to complain about the 12-unit rooming house. The former East Side Church of Christ building is zoned to permit a single-family residence, one letter said, but the developer turned it into a rooming house, advertising it as short-term rental space on places such as Airbnb and Kijiji.
'The City of Sault Ste. Marie has extensive records from visits and building inspections noting concerns with the building and the use of it,' the letter said.
'This was not an established rooming house or had improvements allowing for it. The improvements were made by the applicant post-2023 and after (the) acquisition of the property.'
Developers are supposed to apply for zoning changes and permits before they proceed, the letter said, not ignore the rules and then try to legalize what they have done afterwards.
'The applicant knowingly developed the rooming house despite the lack of zoning,' the letter said.
'Neighbours revealed that workers told them of what the project was, and the zoning would be changed later.'
Since it became a rooming house, large piles of garbage and recycling have become common since the residence is only supposed to be a single-family home.
Parking issues, fire pits
In addition, there are issues with parking, multiple fire pits and police visits.
'They do not maintain their parking area during the winter and the owner instructs the occupants to park in my driveway,' another Melville Road resident said.
'This has cost me hundreds in additional plowing fees as I have to call the company back that maintains my driveway once I have these people remove their vehicles from my property.'
Another person wrote that police and security companies are called to the residence at all hours of the day and night because of problems.
'There is often garbage and refuse on the property … on the street in front of that address,' the letter said.
'There have been several gatherings with fires in the back and many people in attendance. The voices are loud as well as profanity being used that can be heard on the street.'
Read the letters here and the staff report on page 242 of tonight's city council agenda here.