Providing 19 conditions are met, the latest in a series of development proposals for an east end site should go ahead, say city staff.
The plan from a Fusion Homes subsidiary (Bluewater) and Gamma Developments calls for 486 residential units to be built at 855 and 927 Victoria Rd. S. – 303 in two, 10-storey apartment buildings; 84 stacked and back-to-back townhouses; 75 stacked townhouses; and 24 cluster townhouses, along with 546 parking spaces.
City council is set to weigh-in on the proposal during a special meeting this coming Monday.
This latest proposal is the fourth version filed with the city. The first came in 2018.
Among the 19 staff-recommended conditions for approval is that the developer give the city three metres of land along Victoria Road for widening purposes, that the developer pays for and constructs traffic signals as well as a left turn lane, and that pedestrian trails conform with the city’s trials master plan.
The developer would also be required to submit a letter from a geotechnical engineer stating groundwater levels won’t impact the structural integrity of trails.
If approved as-is, the proposal is expected to generate $13.1 million in development charges for the city, along with $510,000 in community benefit charges. Annual property taxes are expected to generate between $1 million and $1.3 million in revenue for the city.
A plan filed with the city in March called for 489 units (three stacked townhouses were removed in the latest version) and 544 parking spots (two fewer than proposed now).
The February, 2022 incarnation featured the same number of units, with a slightly different layout.
Two development scenarios were floated when development of the site was first proposed: one was for 156 stacked townhouses and 211 apartment units, the other is for 108 stacked townhouses and 292 apartment units.
That plan was met with criticism during a 2019 public meeting, which saw concerns raised about density, impact on traffic flow and more.
