'Steepest hill in town': Dundonald St. slope leads to rezoning denial

Dundonald Street’s steepness has stalled — perhaps stopped — a controversial residential development near Barrie’s downtown.

Sitting in general committee on Wednesday, councillors turned down a rezoning application needed to develop a six-storey apartment with 50 condominiums and three underground levels for 61 parking spaces at 19 Dundonald St. 

“The Dundonald hill … is the steepest hill in town,” said Coun. Craig Nixon. “We need to do everything in our power to minimize traffic on dangerous streets, and that steep hill can be, many times in the year, a dangerous street.”

The property contains a grade change of approximately 18 metres, sloping from north to south.

Pat Crawley, one of many area residents who oppose the rezoning, said she’s delighted with councillors’ decision.

“It’s the wrong place for the proposed development for a myriad of reasons,” she said. “So many residents of both Wards 1 and 2 called and emailed city councillors to urge them to deny the application.” 

City council could consider final approval of the rezoning denial at its Nov. 20 meeting.

Mayor Alex Nuttall said the proposed development isn’t a good fit there.

“This is one of those developments where … I just don’t think that this even tries to fit into the community. I just don’t think that it respects the community,” he said.

“It feels like a bit of a shoe horn,” said Coun. Amy Courser.

But the argument against the development kept coming back to Dundonald’s steep slope.

“This is one steep hill that is probably more of a best fit for a ski hill as opposed to a street. It’s really the safety issue that plays on me,” said Coun. Gary Harvey, speaking of icy winter roads and the inability to put traffic lights there. 

“We’ve had some really difficult developments come forward, but we have supported greatest height and density in areas that made sense for the neighbourhoods and communities, and I can stand by those,” said Coun. Ann-Marie Kungl. “This one I don’t stand by.”

Only Coun. Sergio Morales spoke against denying the rezoning, noting city transportation planning staff supported the rezoning application, although he did call Dundonald “a tough slope.”

Barrie Historical Archive curator Deb Exel, in a BarrieToday column published in May 2022, called Dundonald Street “breathtakingly steep.”

Area residents have raised concerns about increased traffic this project would generate, and safety concerns about vehicles turning into or out of this proposed development, on this steep hill.

Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson noted there is dense residential in this part of Barrie, so the fit isn’t the issue for him.

“Framing this that it doesn’t fit is the wrong frame. There’s more apartment buildings in this little pocket,” he said. “But I think we’ve got to start voting things down. Nothing is a slam dunk.

“The road is never changing to a safe place. If it wasn’t for the road … this may fit," Thomson added. 

This land is triangular in shape and is just less than an acre in size, with approximately 99 metres fronting Dundonald Street. 

Pat and John Hargreaves want to rezone their property from residential single-detached dwelling second density to residential apartment dwelling first density – with variances relating to front-yard setbacks, rear-yard setbacks, maximum gross floor area and parking spaces required.

There is an existing single-detached home located on the northern half of this property. Its southern half is vacant with considerable vegetation and scattered tree cover.

City staff support the proposed built form and site design, and say the proposal represents an appropriate form of development in an area where intensification is permitted.

At one point, the development proposal was for nine storeys, and 52 to 58 residences, before the project was down-scaled.