PARRY SOUND - Habitat for Humanity is downsizing its original plan to build a duplex.
After deliberations and advice shared among members of the building committee, the Habitat for Humanity Muskoka Parry Sound Adopt-A-Home Project has decided to build a single-family home, instead of a duplex, on its Emily Street plot.
Officials site a number of reasons for the decision, the biggest of which is a stream that runs through the property and limits the possibility of building side-by-side three-bedroom bungalows without spending about $80,000 on a retaining wall.
“Although this is a change of plans, our hands are tied by the physical limitations of the building site,” said project chair Hans DeVries of the land donated by the Town of Parry Sound. “On the plus side, the decision to build a single family home might expedite the completion of our first build, thus showing the community the concrete results of all the fundraising done so far, and all the generosity shown by so many in Parry Sound.”
The organization has no intention of building the costly retaining wall in the near future, but will need to acquire additional donated land for any other builds.
The design of the project has been approved by the steering committee.
The building committee is now working on finalizing the plans, so a material list can be created as well as a cost associated with those materials.
The organization is currently in the process of selecting a family to help build and live in the home Ground-breaking is expected by this winter.