.jpg;w=960;h=640;bgcolor=000000)
Opposition is steep to a proposed nine-storey condominium project on Barrie’s Dundonald Street hill.
Pat Cawley, who lives on nearby Theresa Street, said there’s a ‘level of community dismay” about the project.
“The proposed use is not compatible with the neighbourhood, the zoning or with the draft Official Plan and is not in an intensification zone,” she said. “The Dundonald hill - one of the steepest in Barrie - has no sidewalks, no line of sight from top to bottom - (with a ) blind spot half way up - and ends at a complicated intersection of Collier and Dunlop/Blake that is risky to navigate even with current levels of traffic.”
City staff said 129 people registered to speak at the Jan. 26 virtual neighbourhood meeting on this proposal.
A rezoning is needed to develop the 67 residential condos at 19 Dundonald St., with two levels of underground parking, with 101 spaces, on just less than one acre of land immediately south of St. Mary’s Church, on the east side of Dundonald.
Cawley has asked Coun. Keenan Aylwin, who represents this area, to oppose the rezoning.
He said Monday that as far as he was aware, no formal application has been submitted to the city at this time.
“Having said that, it was clear at the neighbourhood meeting in January that there are major concerns about the proposal from the surrounding community,” Aylwin said. “I hope that the applicant will take those concerns seriously before they consider filing an application with the city. I’m incredibly thankful for the engagement from the neighbourhood on this proposal. It’s encouraging to see so many people who are genuinely interested in creating a better neighbourhood.”
At the Jan. 26 neighbourhood meeting James Hunter, senior planner with Innovative Planning Solutions (IPS), representing the developer, noted there are already buildings higher than single-family homes in this part of Barrie.
“You’ve got a wide range of heights here from three storeys all the way up to 14,” he said. “The subject lands are in a location where high-density residential uses are prominent.”
A map Hunter showed illustrated buildings of six stories on Albert Street, seven storeys on Collier Street, eight and six storeys on Blake Street, in the general area. IPS says they are located adjacent to existing, low-density residential uses.
Coun. Clare Riepma noted 19 Dundonald is at the edge of Ward 2 and probably affects neighbours in Ward 1, who he represents, just as much.
“At this point I have not been convinced that this is a suitable project in terms of impact on the community,” he said. “There were something like 100 people there (at the virtual neighbourhood meeting) and they were not in favour of the proposal.
“From the meeting it appears that they (IPS) also need an Official Plan amendment since they are proposing a density in excess of 150 units per hectare. In addition there are lots of issues about building on such a steep slope and using a road in poor condition.”
IPS says Dundonald is due for upgrades in 2023-2025, including water, sewer and stormwater services.
Cawley also said this project would take up most of the site and create water management and flooding risks for the heritage homes below it. She said there are heritage implications and the property sits on the Algonquin Ridge line, so there are conservation implications too.
“In general, folks indicated that they would be comfortable with a development the scale of the Roxborough, at Blake and Dundonald (four storeys), but that the nine storey building was dangerously ill-suited to the location,” she said.
The proposed rezoning would be to residential apartment dwelling, first density, with what IPS calls minor site specific provisions, from residential single-detached dwelling, second density.
After the application is received, the next step would be a public meeting at city’s council’s planning committee, followed by a city planning staff report, with recommendations, to Barrie councillors - who would decide on the rezoning application.
