Where does one building have two addresses?
Maybe one day in the city’s downtown, near Barrie Public Library.
On Wednesday night, council will consider a motion that a single street address be assigned to Traditions Seniors Housing development at 67 Owen St., unless the entire structure meets all requirements in the Ontario Building Code (OBC).
If the OBC requirements are met, however, Traditions could be assigned two street addresses to the single building being developed at 67 Owen, notwithstanding the council-approved street addressing policy and private street naming policy that requires one municipal street address.
“If you look at the address bylaw, if two structures have two main entrances off two different streets it’s OK to have two addresses,” said Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson. “It’s one building, it’s two towers, but it’s all attached by one podium.”
He mentioned The Nautica at 33 and 37 Ellen St., and Bayshore Landing at 140 and 150 Dunlop St. E., as other examples. And that Traditions would have to meet OBC standards.
The developer of 67 Owen St., Traditions, wants to assign two municipal street addresses to its single building that consists of a podium, a nine-storey building and a 20-storey tower. This structure has been designed with two main occupancies — one is assisted living/retirement home suites and the other is apartments.
“We are requesting that the north portion of the building, the nine storey retirement residence, with a main entrance, be addressed as 57 Owen St. and that the (20)-storey condominiums apartment tower with a main entrance be addressed as 67 Owen St.,” Bruce Stewart, speaking for Traditions, said in a Jan. 23, 2023 letter to Michael Prowse, Barrie’s chief administrative officer.
Barrie Fire and Emergency Service has raised concerns that two addresses for a building operating as a single unit would add unnecessary confusion that could delay response times for emergency services, negatively impacting the safety of the building’s residents.
But if 67 Owen can be built to OBC requirements, and the other changes that have been identified are implemented, it would meet the minimum safety requirements of Barrie Fire from an operational perspective.
However, it has been city staff’s view, at one point in the process, that this building will not be able to meet OBC requirements as presented.
For example, upon occupancy, the assisted-living portion of the building once operational will not be able to meet the mandated timelines for evacuation drills that are required to be performed annually for vulnerable occupancies.
These timed drills only occur after occupancy, when those at risk are living in the building.
This property, just less than an acre, is located on the east side of Owen Street, north of Worsley Street, and is currently known as 55 to 57 McDonald St., 61 to 67 Owen St. and 70 to 78 Worsley St., right across the street from Barrie Public Library.
When built, it’s to have 278 residences, ground-floor commercial uses and underground and structured parking.
The property has been rezoned for the planned use, but its site plan remains under review.