Amended plan for Preston Springs site gets rubber stamp

An interpretive plaque will be installed in a location accessible to the public, and the remaining stone wall and pillars along Fountain Street will be retained in the site unless it is deemed not to be feasible

Sweeping amendments to Haastown Group’s development at the former Preston Springs site got the rubber stamp last week from Cambridge city council.

While the development at 102 Fountain St. S., 134 and 144 Fountain St. N. and 199 Abraham St., was approved on March 19 — the lone vote against came from Coun. Scott Hamilton — the amended bylaws returned April 16 for council approval. This time, there was no discord.

After the March vote, Hamilton called out his fellow councillors for overreaching their duties and figured the new cobbled together development proposal by council was an express ticket to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

The original plan by Haastown called for three towers on a fivestorey podium, at heights of 22, 24 and 26 storeys, with 753 dwelling units. That was later whittled down and presented to council with three towers, still on the five-storey podium, of 18, 20 and 20 storeys. The new towers, which would gradually elevate at a 45-degree angle from the rear of the property to Fountain Street, would hold between 620 and 640 units.

During deliberations, council amended the proposal itself, calling for a mixed-use development with two towers, no taller than 15 storeys, and a maximum tower footprint of 2,000 square metres.

In addition, council directed the existing dry stone walls be incorporated into the Preston Historical Garden design, and the building design be architecturally sympathetic to the original building and the designated heritage building at 138 Fountain St. S.

As well, an interpretive plaque will be installed in a location accessible to the public, and the remaining stone wall and pillars along Fountain Street will be retained in the site unless it is deemed not to be feasible. If it is proven not to be feasible, the stone wall and pillars will be dismantled and integrated into the development in a place visible to the public.

Hamilton said after the meeting, he was perplexed council came up with its own plans for the Preston Springs.

“We are not planners, we’re not engineers, we’re not architects, we’re not city builders,” Hamilton said. “So, to put applicants, developers, and the public through years of costly work, doing the designs, doing the blueprints, attending and hosting meetings, going to different council sessions, and then at the very last second to suddenly revise the entire proposal, just literally transform it, according to completely subjective criteria that hasn’t been discussed with council, I think that’s pretty wild.”

Coun. Corey Kimpson, following the meeting, countered Hamilton, saying council didn’t reject the motion and instead wanted to work with the developer. However, there wasn’t enough information to support what was proposed by Haastown.

“We know that development will take place there and we encourage something that is compatible and recognizes the prominence of the location and the unique and complicated topography of the site,” she said.