On the May 2nd Council planning agenda there is a the statutory public meeting for an application for a zoning bylaw amendment in Schomburg to enable the building of a 96 unit apartment building on Main Street. There is much which is appealing in that it offers a range of unit sizes and it assumes re-purposing of heritage house on the property. It is also a proposal which demands significant analysis as to its full impact on the community; specifically one needs to ask whether it will enhance the community or whether it will be a detriment. To my mind the two big questions are: impact on the Dufferin Marsh, impact on Main Street (i.e. traffic) of 100+ additional cars. Here is a staff report. Even though it is a public meeting it is necessary to register to make a deputation because the council meeting is virtual. Please register at clerks@king.ca by noon on May 2nd or submit your written comments for the council to clerks@king.ca.
To further elaborate on my comments about the appeal of building with the varying units. First, building this as an apartment does create the opportunity for this to be “missing middle” units which are supposed to be affordable. But it is not necessarily “affordable.” Affordability is a function of the rent and the need for car ownership. To date across King there are few apartments although I have the perception that the village of Schomberg does have proportionally more than the other villages.
It’s satisfying that the proponent proposes to leave the heritage house at its site. Re-purposing it to commercial is an interesting idea but far more information is required. What will the commercial offering be and how does it relate to the six story building immediately adjacent to it? Given that both the house and apartment have a relatively large setback from the street versus the neighboring properties the heritage house and the apartment block should compliment each other. I think it’s unfortunate that the proponent is not thinking of integrating the heritage house into the apartment building. This would be creative and distinctive.
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Unless there is significant changes to how traffic moves on Main Street and how cars park on Main Street, adding this many cars into and out of the driveway is nearly impossible. Can a laneway be places behind the property exiting onto Dr. Kay Dr?
I don’t know. I urge you to send in your question to Staff and/or make a deputation asking this?
And/or ask Mary Asselstine. My understanding: opening up the laneway to Dr. Kay Drive would help relieve Main Street from the congestion of 100+ cars from the condo, but this would be at the expense of the fragile & important Dufferin Marsh which would suffer a lot of damage.
According to the staff report there are 73 units proposed in this building. I’m glad to see the heritage home included in the plan, and that small-scale residential units are being introduced. However, I believe the height of the proposed building is out of character with the village core area of Schomberg and the adjacent neighbourhoods. The OP stresses the importance of compatibility between new development and adjacent residences and commercial properties. The OP allows up to three storeys in new development in core areas. Up to six-storeys may be considered if the proposed building meets specific criteria. In the criteria, compatibility is a key component. Relating to the natural heritage features on the east side of the property is an important question in my mind: Will the natural buffers of the Dufferin Marsh be sustained and enhanced, so that they support the healthy ecological function of the marsh?