Woolwich approves expansion plan for Maryhill seniors’ home

A MARYHILL SENIORS’

HOME is primed for expansion, its zone-change request approved Tuesday night by Woolwich council.

Hillside Residence, located at 44 St. Charles St. E., is cleared for an addition to increase its capacity to 22 residents from the current 16.

Located on an agricultural parcel with a site-specific provision to allow for the seniors’ group home, the business in operation since 1999 has been restrained by zoning that limited the number of residents to 16. Despite increasing demand, Hillside has had to turn people away, said Matthew Warzecha, a planner with the GSP Group representing owner Karen Martin.

The expansion will have little impact on the site, which has its own well and sanitary system, he added.

Though surrounded on three sides by residential development and on the east by the Maryhill Heritage Park, the 19-acre property remains something of an anomaly: outside of the settlement boundary and zoned for agricultural use.

“It’s a hole in the donut,” noted director of engineering and planning Dan Kennaley in recommending the zone change to councillors meeting June 21.

His department is currently doing a boundary rationalization review across the township, with the site under consideration for including in the urban area.

“This is a property we’re looking at,” he said.

That being the case, there’s no guarantee the property will be included in the final changes, Kennaley hastened to add.