The former Northern Rubber Company building in The Ward is about to grow. City council approved plans on Monday that would see a fifth storey added.
That space is intended to accommodate 30 affordable housing units, with 103 units throughout the existing four floors of the building at 120 Huron St. S.
“What you debate and recommend this evening may influence the planning and vision of other similar developments in this area. That vision is of a more walkable, bikeable, active lifestyle community situated in a unique area close to everything you need,” said Mike Darmon, vice-president of Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation.
“I’m extremely hopeful and excited that this moment in our history will lead to a much more prosperous and sustainable future.”
The developer, Alice Block Inc. — a subsidiary of Kitchener-based Momentum Developments — also received approval for other zoning amendments related to minimum setbacks, common amenity areas, unit sizes, parking and more.
Coun. Mark MacKinnon was the only one present to vote against the zoning and official plan amendments. Coun. Dan Gibson was absent from the meeting.
With approval of a fifth floor and 30 additional units, the project would have been required to include 152 parking spaces under pre-existing regulations. However, it’s been given the green light to go ahead with 99 spaces for residents and 15 more for visitors (114 total).
The project also includes 129 bicycle parking spaces on site.
Nearby resident Yvette Tendick, president of the Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation, said she’s not a big fan of large parking lots and is pleased to see the reduction in spaces, but she worries about people parking on area streets.
“Unless we act with intention to make it attractive to not use a car, there will be cars parked day and night all around the streets of The Ward near the development,” she said, adding, “The Ward is an easy place for someone to live without a car.”
To encourage bicycle use, council approved a motion calling inclusion of a bicycle ramp to be considered during the site plan stage.
