Steep opposition continues to a proposed nine-storey residential condominium on Barrie’s Dundonald Street hill.
Area residents will hold a meeting on Thursday, Jan. 19 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
“While we understand that it will likely be some months before (Barrie city) council receives the planning department’s recommendations, let's rekindle our energies and enthusiasm and keep the pressure on,” said Pat Cawley, who lives on nearby Theresa Street, in a notice to her neighbours.
“We’re continuing our efforts to get the 19 Dundonald St. development rescaled to three to four storeys,” she told BarrieToday.
The Jan. 19 get-together will deal with a planning review by Larkin+Land Use Planners, a meeting with Michael Larkin to hear and discuss outcomes and implications.
Ward 1 Coun. Clare Riepma and Ward 2 Coun. Craig Nixon have both been invited to the meeting, as Dundonald Street sits on or near the boundary of both Barrie wards.
A public meeting was held last June on this application.
John and Pat Hargreaves want to rezone 19 Dundonald St. to develop 58 condo units and two levels of underground parking on just less than an acre of land north of Collier and Blake streets, south of Theresa Street.
But neighbours say nine storeys on this property don’t fit with their community.
There is an existing single-detached home located on the northern half of this triangular property. Its southern half is vacant with considerable vegetation and scattered tree cover. This property also contains a significant grade change of approximately 18 metres from north to south.
This application is to rezone the property from residential single detached dwelling, second density (R2) to residential apartment dwelling first density, with special provisions and site specific provisions. The latter would include a larger gross floor area than the city’s zoning bylaw allows.
While there was considerable opposition to the proposed development during the public meeting in June, there was also some support from those interested in adding to Barrie’s housing stock.
City planning staff have said a portion of this property may need to be rezoned to environmental protection (EP), pending the outcome of a review of the environmental impact study submitted in support of the application to establish the limits of development on this land.
Should a portion of the subject property be rezoned to EP, the developable area of the site would be reduced - thereby necessitating an application for an Official Plan amendment to permit a density in excess of 150 units per hectare outside of Barrie’s Urban Growth Centre.
The property is not located within a designated city intensification area.
Planning staff have targeted the second quarter of 2023 for a report for planning committee’s consideration of the zoning bylaw amendment application - which would also require final approval from council.
