Disputed Kanata South development goes to council after committee OK
The planning committee voted Thursday in support of a controversial development application in a Kanata neighbourhood after hearing from bitter residents that two new apartment buildings are overkill for a property currently occupied by a single-family home.
MG4 Investments Inc., which owns a corner property at 33 Maple Grove Rd. in the Katimavik-Hazeldean neighbourhood, wants to replace the home with two three-storey buildings containing six units each.
The development application says the buildings would be 11.5 metres high. The zoning for the property and surrounding area sets the height limit at 11 metres, but the neighbourhood is mostly made up of low-rise, single-family homes. There is also a hospice across from the site.
Among the seven residents who spoke in opposition to the proposal was Brad Hall, who said he noticed the development information sign at the property asked residents to let the city know what they think about the proposal.
“We've let you know,” Hall said. “Are you listening?”
Councillors on the committee listened, but overwhelmingly sided with the professional advice of their planning department, which recommended a zoning change to allow the two buildings since the proposal aligns with policies in the city's official plan.
Another neighbourhood resident, Don Bell, said people will respect intensification if the development is “honest, respectful and fair,” qualities he didn't see in the two-building proposal.
The city's goal to increase residential intensification is at the centre of the controversy.
One of the property owner's planning consultants, Murray Chown of Novatech, reminded councillors that they approved aggressive intensification targets last year and established a policy to have more than half of new homes be built in established communities.
There's no avoiding it; the suburbs will need to absorb residential density, Chown said.
“You must accommodate additional units outside the Greenbelt in the communities of Kanata, Barrhaven, Riverside South and Orléans,” Chown said.
The community — like so many others across the city, and especially those inside the Greenbelt that see high-density development applications roll through city hall on a regular basis — doesn't see how loading up homes on a single property is compatible with the neighbourhood's fabric.
Matt Brearey, vice-president of the community association, said the proposed development is like piling a Big Mac with extra toppings and not being able to fit it into the standard Big Mac box.
The committee voted 8-1 to support the application. Kanata South Coun. Allan Hubley, who represents the area, cast the only vote in opposition. Council is scheduled to vote on Jan. 27.