The Chair requested staff to advise on the manner of giving notice for the proposed zoning by-law amendment. He also asked staff to briefly describe the proposal and summarize the correspondence, if any, received to date.
Mr. Harding confirmed that the required notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act and circulated to each owner of land within 120m, and a sign was posted on the subject property. He summarized the application, explaining that it proposes to permit the construction of a four (4) storey, forty (40) unit apartment building and amend any applicable development standards in the zoning by-law. Conformity to the Growth Plan, Town of Lindsay Official Plan, and consistency with the Provincial Policy Statement will be confirmed after a full analysis of the proposal once all comments are received from agencies and the public. Mr. Harding summarized the comments received to date, as detailed in his report, noting that subsequent to the writing of the report additional comments were received from A. Scarr of Riverview Road expressing concerns with increased traffic on Riverview Road and the condition of the nearby road network and L. Peel of St. Peter Street, expressing concerns with privacy, shadowing, property values, traffic in the area, and the potential type of person who would reside in the apartments.
Staff recommended that the application be referred back to staff for further review and processing until such time as comments have been received from all circulated Agencies and City Departments, that any comments and concerns raised by the public have been addressed, and a full planning analysis of the proposal has been conducted. Mr. Harding and Ms. Sisson responded to questions from Committee members.
The Chair inquired if the applicant wished to speak to the application.
Kent Randall of EcoVue Consulting spoke on behalf of the applicant, stating that they had provided the Planning Justification Report. He noted that several studies had been submitted in support of the application including a Traffic Study, and noted that they are willing to listen and address comments received today. He responded to questions from Committee members.
The Chair inquired if anyone wished to speak to the application.
John Ireland, of 11 Mill Street, stated that he is the chair of the group working to establish a Heritage Conservation District within Lindsay’s Mill District. He expressed concern about losing the two homes on the properties, and highlighted their potential historic value. He further stated that the properties may be within the boundaries being considered for the Mill District as there is interest amongst area property owners to be included in the district. He also noted that there are 71 trees located on the properties and expressed a desire to conserve at least 30% of tree canopy cover on the property.
William Bateman, spoke on behalf of the Municipal Heritage Committee (MHC). He stated that the dwellings on the properties may be eligible for consideration for designation under the Ontario Heritage Act, and noted that the property at 4 St. David Street was once owned by a prominent local family. He stated that the MHC is seeking to be notified of any further developments on the application and that the MHC will discuss the heritage value of one or both properties at its next meeting.
Linda Griffith, of 137 Queen Street, spoke against the application and questioned whether the application was for a condominium or rental apartment building. She also noted the historic value of the dwellings on the properties and the recent renovations done to 4 St. David Street. She further noted her concern of already having two high-rises on Scugog River, losing vacant lands near the river to development and recommended that other lands should be considered for this development.
Jim Garbutt identified himself as a member of the Municipal Heritage Committee but stated he was not commenting on their behalf, but as a concerned citizen. He noted the attractiveness of the property and the historic value of the Lamantia home at 4 St. David Street. He provided an overview of the history of the property and area, and stated that the proposed design does not integrate well into the historic neighborhood. He stated that the building would be visible from the Mill District neighbourhood across the river, and that while he is not opposed to the application, he has concerns with the heritage aspects of the development and does not feel that this lot is the best location for the proposal.
Gord Courtemanche, of 56 Riverview Road, spoke in opposition the application, stating his desire to keep the properties the way they are, and his concerns if the apartments will be rental units. He requested that the Committee be mindful of the long-term impacts to the neighbourhood when approving development.
Wendy Kirk, of 6 St. David Street, spoke in opposition to the application. She noted concern for capacity of existing town infrastructure including road, schools, hospitals, and jobs for this size of development. She stated her opposition to the design of the building, her desire to not look at a wall or balcony, and further stated that she does not want high density on the east side of the Scugog River in Lindsay.
Amanda Roosmets, of 6 Logie Street, spoke in opposition to the application. She stated that she enjoys her neighbourhood including the nature and nearby trail, and that the proposed building would be an eyesore and would be highly visible from many places because it is so high. She expressed concerns about drainage from the proposed parking lot, drainage on the land, generation of excessive traffic on Logie Street, loss of privacy, and a potential decrease in property values. She stated there could be safety concerns if rental apartments were proposed and recommended a lower density development, such as townhomes.
Lorne Haley, of 8 Logie Street, stated that the existing home on the property is beautiful, and that he doesn't want to see the dwelling or the trees removed. He stated that the proposal was too dense, and raised concerns over how the lot would might drain to the river and increased traffic on Logie Street. He also expressed environmental concerns about the area considering the former nearby industrial uses.
No other persons spoke to the application.
The Chair permitted Kent Randall to speak on behalf of the applicant to respond to the concerns identified. He stated the building will be developed as condominium apartments, not rental apartments. He noted that they have attempted to address neighbourhood compatibility through building design and by moving it away from the backyards of the lots on King and St. Peter Streets. He stated that shadow modeling reports are available that show shadowing impacts have been minimized, and that both the quality and quantity of all stormwater from the property will be controlled with no direct outlet to the Scugog River. He finally noted that there is sufficient parking proposed to meet the requirements of the area. In conclusion, he stated that they will consider modifications to the proposal to address concerns.
The committee briefly recessed from 1:49 to 1:51 p.m.