Condominium building too big for South Windsor, neighbours tell committee
A four-storey building with 66 condos would be “way too high” for the corner of North Talbot Road and 6th Concession, neighbours in the surrounding South Windsor neighbourhood forcefully told a committee of council Monday.
After hearing from nine residents, as well as receiving multiple letters of opposition, the development and heritage standing committee voted 6-1 to defer making a decision on the rezoning application for the property. A one-storey commercial plaza would be allowed under the current zoning (which resulted from a 2008 Ontario Municipal Board hearing), but developer Tosin Bello had been proposing either a plaza with three floors of housing on top or a four-storey residential project. In a last-minute change to his proposal — meant to appease upset neighbours — he removed a number of features from the plan including an entertainment lounge and using two residential lots at Pioneer and North Talbot as part of the development. As well, he intends to build only residential, with 66 condos selling in the $400,000 to $500,000 range, his planner Melanie Muir announced at Monday's meeting.
“I feel that based on the (nearby) subdivision, that residential would fit better in the area,” said Bello, suggesting that a purely residential project would cause fewer concerns about traffic, parking and noise. “So we've listened to the concerns of the residents and we're conceding.”
Bello also said that the building would be placed close to the streets in an L-shaped configuration with parking behind, to keep it as far away from neighbouring properties as possible.
But residents in the area — made up of newer single-family homes north of Southwood Lakes subdivision and south of Dougall Parkway — were not convinced.
“This is way too high, there's nothing higher than a two-level (house) in our area and it's totally unacceptable,” said Joe Peltier, who was also worried the project would make traffic in the area worse than it already is, endangering children and seniors. “The traffic is insane,” he said.
“To think this is going to be beneficial to anyone? You are totally wrong.”
Others complained the big building would block their view of sunsets, and invade their privacy. They feared the building could end up being five storeys high.
“If we're going to put a four- to five-storey building in my neighbourhood, privacy in my backyard is going to be completely mitigated, it's gone,” said Jackie Pearson.
Two storeys wouldn't be a problem at all, said Scott Dube. “Four storeys is too big for this neighbourhood. There's nothing around here that tall. I don't think it fits
with the neighbourhood.”
The committee voted for a deferral so that city planning staff can evaluate the last-minute changes put forward by the developer. The staff report that went to the committee Monday recommended approval of the four-storey development but rejection of some of the developer's requests such as breaks on the amount of parking required and using the two Pioneer Avenue lots for the development. Planner Justina Nwaesei noted that the corner lot is bounded by two collector roads — North Talbot and 6th Concession — and “represents an appropriate location for intensification.”
But many committee members sympathized with the neighbours. Adding a four-storey building in the midst of residential is “too stark of a change,” said Anthony Gyemi, who made a motion that would have lopped a storey off the project. Pushing up the heights adds other problems, such as not being able to supply the required
number of parking spaces, he said.
“I just have the feeling that this is pushing the envelope a little too far.”
A 3-4 vote defeated his motion. Ward 10 Coun. Jim Morrison noted that several condo-style developments have recently been approved by council in areas of single-family homes — most recently at Lauzon Road and Edgar Street. He said the policies coming from the province and the city promote residential intensification to address the current housing shortage.
“This is something we're going to see over and over again.”
The North Talbot/6th Concession rezoning is expected to return to the committee's next meeting in December.
“What we're looking for as a committee is a very clear, singular recommendation from administration,” said the committee's chairman, Ward 3 Coun. Rino Bortolin.