More than 500 apartment and townhouse units could one day line Yonge Street’s east side in Barrie.
A neighbourhood meeting will be held Wednesday, May 4 for two proposed developments along Yonge, on parcels of land 1.64 and 1.32 acres, split by MacLaren Avenue.
The first development is at 427, 429, 431, 435, 437 Yonge St., a proposed eight-storey apartment building containing 337 residential units, ground-level commercial use and two levels of underground parking, a total of 418 spaces.
The second project is at 447, 449, 451, 453, 455 Yonge St., a proposed eight-storey apartment building containing 158 residential units along with two three-storey stacked townhouse blocks of 13 units and 287 underground parking spaces.
“As you might expect residents have expressed concern with the potential impact of the proposed development,” said Coun. Jim Harris, who represents this part of Barrie. “Concerns are focused primarily on the density, impact on properties that are immediately abutting, particularly privacy and shading, the property having adequate parking and green space for residents and their guests.
“On the positive side there is interest in the area being revitalized,” Harris said. “This stretch of homes on Yonge Street have been for sale for many years and the properties are a long way from their best days.”
Both parcels of land are currently occupied by single-family homes, although several are unoccupied and boarded up. They require a rezoning for these developments, which would total 508 residential units.
“I understand there is pressure from other levels of government to build more units and I believe that there is capacity to increase the density from what previously was built on this section of Yonge,” Harris said. “However, it will be important to balance the need for adding much-needed units of housing with ensuring the development is of an appropriate size, scale and fit for the area — as was done in the east end on Blake Street and Kempenfelt Drive.”
The Ward 8 councillor said this proposal reminds him of the Kempenfelt Drive/Blake Street area, where single-family homes on Kempenfelt back onto a series of apartment buildings on Blake, which range from an eight-storey building to four- and three-storey buildings, where there are a couple of single-storey homes between and a park bordering them.
“With the green space, mature trees and mix of housing types, it is considered a desired area to live,” he said.
The rezoning applications for these Yonge Street properties, from an unnamed developer, would be from residential single detached dwelling first density, or R1, to mixed-use corridor with special provisions, or MU2-SP. The variances include the buildings’ height, rear-yard setback, along with front facade and rear facade step-backs.
To participate in this neighbourhood meeting, visit ‘proposed developments, Ward 8’ on the city’s website, barrie.ca, and register to attend the virtual meeting, scheduled for 5-7 p.m. on May 4.
Once the neighbourhood meeting is held on this rezoning application, a public meeting will be scheduled at a future planning committee meeting. The matter will then go to city planning staff, who will produce a report for Barrie councillors, sitting as planning committee, with recommendations.
Planning committee can approve, reject or alter staff’s recommendation. The matter would then go to city council for final approval.
