Plans for a mixed-use development on lands surrounding the Guelph Curling Club will move forward following council’s unanimous endorsement on Monday evening, though delegates flagged concerns about increased traffic and lack of park space within the plan.
Chief Holdings, the project’s proponent, now has the necessary zoning and official plan amendment approvals to construct 200 stacked townhouse units, a five-storey apartment building with 48 units and a 6,685-square-foot commercial building at 816 Woolwich Street North, north of Woodlawn Road.
“I look forward to watching as the project moves to shovels in the ground,” commented Morgan Dandie-Hannah, who raised concerns about the impact adding nearly 250 residential units will have on the nearby intersection of Woolwich Street (Highway 6) and Woodlawn Road. “We need to get ahead of the infrastructure constraints.”
She said traffic is often quite backed up at that intersection during peak times and perhaps a truck bypass should be looked at to alleviate some of the issues there.
Hugh Whiteley questioned why a development on the edge of the city would be allowed to provide cash-in-lieu rather than convey park space to the city. Such a thing is appropriate for small lots in the downtown core, where potential park space isn’t available.
“No 3.9-hectare site should be allowed to provide cash-in-lieu,” he said. “Open space is important.”
He suggested the city is missing an opportunity to join with the neighbouring provincially significant wetland to create a “large nature walk.”
Though the decision was unanimous, councillors Phil Allt and Dominique O’Rourke declared pecuniary interests at the onset of the meeting and didn’t participate in the discussion or vote. Allt is a member of Guelph Curling Club, as is O’Rourke’s husband. The latter is also a shareholder.
This is the third proposed version of the development to come forward for this 3.9-hectare property, with the first filed in 2014. At the time, it included 31 three-storey townhouses in three blocks, and four commercial buildings.
Revisions in 2018 featured 195 stacked townhouse units, a five-storey building with a mix of residential and retail space, and an office building.
All three versions of the plan include maintaining the existing curling club building.
Speaking on behalf of the developer, Dave Aston of MHBC Planning Ltd., said several changes to the plan have been made in response to concerns raised by neighbours and others. Among them, he noted the plan includes a central urban square open to all residents, increased setbacks to the north and changed elevation of buildings to “minimize the overlook” on Marymount Catholic Cemetery.
The plan will also see the sidewalk extended to the northern edge of the curling club lands.
Coun. Bob Bell suggested the Township of Guelph-Eramosa, which sits immediately north of the curling club lands, be contacted about extending the sidewalk up to the cemetery.
