New buildings in much of Downtown Guelph can now be as tall as 23 storeys, with a minimum of two. The previous limit was 18 storeys.
That’s among the provincial government’s changes to the city’s official plan handed down on Tuesday.
“We were not expecting much change to occur,” Melissa Aldunate, the city’s manager of policy planning and urban design, said of the city’s official plan amendments submitted to the province for approval. “We’re going to take some time to review potential impacts of (the province’s changes).”
The city’s new official plan, including 18 provincial changes, came into effect on Wednesday, allowing 23-storey buildings to be constructed in much of the downtown core, with the exception of areas included in protected view corridors for the Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate and flood plains along the Speed and Eramosa rivers, among others.
“A lot of the areas that now have the 23 storeys applied to them are residential neighbourhoods on the periphery of downtown, where we were not expecting much change to occur,” Aldunate said, noting “minor intensification” was anticipated.
The excluded area includes 58 Wellington St. E., on the corner of Wellington and Wyndham streets, where Fusion Homes is seeking permission to build a 23-storey, mixed-use building.
As that property is in the floodplain area, the cap of 18 floors remains in place, Aldunate said.
In all, the province made 18 changes to the city’s official plan amendment to “address provincial policy direction related to housing supply, the Ontario Land Tribunal, planning roles and responsibilities, the Agri-food Network, definitions, among other matters,” a post on the provincial government’s website states.
The changes cannot be appealed.
“Many of them were what I would consider general or minor, where they removed references to provincial ministries or to the Grand River Conservation Authority,” Aldunate explained.
The provincial revisions also direct city officials to reduce minimum parking requirements around major transit stations, though no specifics are provided.
Also impacted is the city’s plan for the Guelph Innovation District, where the quantity of employment land was reduced and additional residential areas were included.
The height limit in some GID areas was also increased, Aldunate noted, with 18-storey buildings allowed in spots along Stone Road.
Other changes include:
- Rejection of council’s decision last year to change the former Armetec property at 41-45 George St. from high to medium density
- Alteration of much of 280 Clair Rd. W. from industrial to high density residential
- Moving 230 Willow Rd. and part of 100 Ridgewood Ave. to high density from low density.
