Location of proposed apartments at 4th Street and Reimer Avenue

Steinbach city council has again rejected a plan for an apartment block on the southwest corner of Reimer Avenue and Fourth Street.

The proposal was denied back in June after neighbours expressed concern about things like traffic and noise at an already-busy intersection.

Developer Ken Friesen re-submitted his application last week with a few changes.

Councillor Cari Penner says it was rejected because the plan was far too similar the one that was turned down only a few months ago. She explains, "The developer is back but he has very much the same application. And, under the Municipal Act, council can refuse an application or deny an application that is basically the same within a year. So, unless the developer decides to come back with a newer application that has substantial differences, we'll hear that. But we won't hear it if it's the same, within a year."

Mayor Chris Goertzen adds council felt it was unfair to subject neighbours to yet another public hearing so soon after the previous one, especially because there's not much new in the plan. He says, "Even though many of us feel that this may be an appropriate use (for the land), we didn't feel it was fair to the neighbourhood to bring this forward before the year was up."