The residential density keeps adding up at 750 Lockhart Rd. in south Barrie.
City council gave final approval June 19 to rezone a portion of this vacant property to build 75 townhouses and a six-storey, multi-residential building containing about 75 units.
With 87 townhouses previously approved on the northern half of the property and the additional residential units proposed through this rezoning, the total unit counts are 162 townhouses and 306 multi-residential units on 750 Lockhart.
“The proposed development on Lockhart is a win for both the city and the future residents that will live there,” said Coun. Bryn Hamilton, who represents this part of Barrie.
This property contains a large natural heritage feature and associated buffers, including the Hewitt’s Creek tributary, which have been surveyed and marked in consultation with the city and Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, through a previous rezoning and draft plan of subdivision applications.
The natural heritage feature is approximately 36.31 acres and will be conveyed to the city at no cost, as a condition of the future subdivision approval.
“Wherever possible, through the development application process the city acquires conservation/environmentally protected land,” Hamilton said. “City ownership, combined with the environmental protection (EP) zoning, ensures that this land is protected from any future development.
“This can also add a number of advantages for residents, depending on the type of environmentally protected land, such as additional trails for walking, hiking or biking,” she said. “Adding or linking into our existing 88 kilometres of (Barrie) public trails allows families to enjoy the natural beauty our city has to offer throughout all seasons.”
The total land subject to the rezoning council approved is approximately 3.41 acres.
This land is located on the north side of Lockhart Road, approximately 340 metres east of Yonge Street, is irregular in shape and is approximately 65.21 acres, with 280 metres fronting Lockhart Road.
“Before any development occurs on land next to EP, the development limit is established in consultation with the city, local conservation authorities, environmental experts and the property owners,” Hamilton said. “This dictates what land needs to be protected and which land can be developed.”
The latest application, by developer Ballymore Building (Barrie), amends the zoning of three future development blocks, in the southern half of the property, from residential hold – special provision to neighbourhood residential and neighbourhood multiple residential, to develop the land through a draft plan of subdivision.
Barrie’s Official Plan (2023) now permits residential development on the southern half of this property.
The rezoning application is being reviewed concurrently with an application for a red-line revision to an approved draft plan of subdivision.
The purpose of the red-line revision to the draft plan of subdivision is to subdivide three future development blocks, in the southern portion of the property, into 11 residential blocks to facilitate the development of the 75 street townhouses and the six-storey, multi-residential building containing approximately 75 units.
A red-line revision is a change to an approved site plan that doesn’t substantively impact the visual appearance of a development, the operational requirements of a municipality or a regulatory agency.
