JACKIE LASSALINE GETS SH*T DONE

Lassaline

By Matthew St. Amand

Jackie Lassaline can see into the future. She does not use this skill to divine winning lottery numbers or to predict natural calamities. Jackie can look at a property or building and know how it would look in its final, realized, or refurbished form. She also knows what it takes to get it there. Rehabbing an old building or renovating a structure for “adaptive reuse” takes more than money. There is a gauntlet of bureaucracy awaiting all souls who venture into this territory. To the uninitiated, the process and rules and regulations and red tape look like needless obstacles, but in fairness, the codes and permits and zoning rules exist for concrete reasons. Rather than wither from the challenge, call Jackie of Lassaline Planning Consultants (LPC). She has a map to this territory.

“When you get down to the bare bones of what I do,” says Jackie, MCIP RPP, owner/operator of LPC. “A land use planner is

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That comes from 37 years of experience.

Jackie grew up in Chatham and attended high school at Albert College. Following graduation, she attended Trent University where she earned a degree in Urban Geography and attended Sir Sandford Fleming College for Geographic Information Systems. She worked as a planner for the County of Peterborough for eight years before working in a similar capacity in the Town of Cobourg for ten years. Jackie received a call one day from the Township of the Archipelago, saying: “We’re looking for a Chief Planner. We want you to come for an interview.” She did.

In the pleasant weather, it was a dream come true, out in the township boat on Georgian Bay, on official business, doing site inspections among the 30,000 islands from Moon River to French River.

“Unfortunately, it snows about ten months of the year up there,” Jackie recalls.

When Amherstburg had an open manager position, Jackie returned to fill that role.

“Eight years ago, I went out on my own as a consultant and opened LPC,” she explains. “I love it. I’ve got great clients. My work runs the gamut of all municipal applications and approvals. I get calls about weird and quirky things, making my days exciting. I know the Planning Act, the Heritage Act, and the Municipal Act. I understand there is a process no matter what you are doing, whether it’s building a new apartment building, building a new store, adapting an existing building to a restaurant, putting in a new septic system or what you need to get a building permit for an ADU [accessory dwelling unit] in your back yard.”

Jackie’s particular areas of expertise are land use planning and heritage planning.

When an iconic, existing building previously known as the House of Shalom was purchased, Jackie was brought in to undertake a heritage assessment, a land use analysis, and a planning justification report to provide a professional opinion about the adaptive re-use of the 114-year-old building.

“Another time, I received a call from the Windsor Islamic Association, which owns residential lots across from their mosque,” Jackie says. “They wanted to do something for their seniors. I managed the files through all the approvals and now they have five six-unit buildings, rental apartments, designed and equipped for seniors associated with the mosque. This way, the senior residents create their own community while being close to the people who care about them and can look after them.”

It’s a win-win situation, and Jackie likes win-win situations.

“I am helping the community by providing this kind of alternative housing,” she says.

With all the building occurring in Essex County, Jackie’s vision and bureaucratic navigational skills are in demand. She loves a challenge and knows how to obtain the approvals her clients need.

To learn more about how Jackie can get the job done for you, visit Lassaline Planning Consultants online at lassalineplan.ca.