Site-plan control for phase one of a controversial highrise project near Barrie’s waterfront that has generated much backlash was passed without a whisper Tuesday night by city councillors.
Sitting as planning committee, councillors approved the application by SmartCentres for 51-75 Bradford St. and 20 Checkley St. without discussion.
There will be 25 storeys — or 85 metres — of height for 233 rental apartment units, 145 hotel suites, a restaurant, an environmental protection area, and a temporary parking lot on property to be the development’s second phase.
“The site plan for that project still has to be ratified at city council (June 28),” said Coun. Keenan Aylwin, who represents this part of Barrie. “I imagine that the developer will want to start construction as soon as possible after final approval is given.”
In January, council rezoned and redesignated property between Lakeshore Drive and Bradford Street, so towers of 41, 38, 35 and 25 storeys high could be built by SmartCentres with a total of about 1,700 residential units, hotel rooms and commercial space.
This project also includes a parking garage, open space and environmental protection land. This means public corridors linking it to existing natural features such as the Bunker’s Creek Ecopark and Kempenfelt Bay.
“I’m happy to see that vehicle access from Lakeshore Drive onto the site will be restricted to pick-up/drop-off for the proposed hotel, meaning the level of traffic will be very low,” Aylwin said. “This helps to address some of the concerns with traffic that had been raised by residents in the area.”
Much of the opposition to this project, from Barrie residents in general and neighbours in particular, has to do with the size of the towers and the density on this property.
“I understand there are people who are concerned about this project. I’m hopeful that it can be a positive project for our downtown as we create a vibrant core,” Aylwin said. “The way Barrie has grown out over the last several decades, paving over precious farmland, is completely unsustainable.
“We need to shift course to build walkable communities that are more environmentally and economically sustainable," he added.
A rezoning and Official Plan amendment were both required for this project to go ahead.
SmartCentres, on behalf of Barrie Lakeshore Developments (Greenwin Barrie and a numbered Ontario company), submitted applications to develop a mixed-use project on this 8.6-acre property between Lakeshore Drive and Bradford Street.
Next steps would include finalizing the site and building design, confirmation of the phase-one site servicing, foundation depth, contaminant management plan details, landscaping and dedication of the environmental protection land, road access and widening dedications, calculation of fees and securities, and registration of a site-plan agreement for phase one.
A significant portion of the site has been identified as floodplain, according to city staff, and subsequently zoned and designated to reflect the floodplain limit, Bunker’s Creek watercourse and the contributing feature area.
In addition to co-ordinating the project details with the ongoing capital project for the rehabilitation of Bunker’s Creek, re-naturalization efforts and a trail linkage from Bradford Street to Lakeshore Drive have been included in this project.
Current municipal tax revenue from the property is $94,994 annually. The estimated city property taxes for the new development would increase to approximately $453,418 for the 233 rental apartment units and $122,815 for the 145 hotel suites plus amenities. Based on the 2020 tax rate, there would be an increase in municipal tax revenue to $576,233.
Building permit application fees as an average are estimated to be about $660,406 at the 2021 rate, subject to an annual inflation adjustment on Jan. 1 of each year.
