MINTO – A revised rezoning application for a residential fourplex in Clifford was approved after the developers agreed to make some changes to the proposal.
Property owner Jordan Taylor, whose construction company will build the development, was seeking to rezone a 0.25 acre (0.1 hectare) property at Lot 161 on Elora Street from R1 to R2 residential.
The original amendment included a site-specific exception to allow the construction of a fourplex dwelling with a reduced rear yard setback and to permit the required parking in front of the main building with no landscaped area in the front yard.
At a Sept. 17 public meeting, neighbouring property owners raised concerns regarding buffering, density, compatibility, potential for use as low-cost housing, grading, aesthetics and the out-front parking plan.
Council deferred a decision on the application and directed staff to work with the applicant to see if the concerns could be addressed.
At the Oct. 1 council meeting chief building official Terry Kuipers reported town staff met with county planners to discuss possible solutions and also met with the applicants and discussed a compromise with the development.
Kuipers explained the applicant agreed to address the concerns in the following manner:
– buffering: the building is to be centered on the lot, increasing the side yard setback (at the rear of the units) from 10 to 18 feet. The applicants also agreed to construct a six-foot privacy fence along the side of the building at the northerly property line;
– density: the applicant will be maintaining the four-unit proposal, which may be of a higher density than the Official Plan, but complies with the density required in the Provincial Policy Statement;
– compatibility: though there is no multi-residential units adjacent to the property, there is a multi-residential property within the same block, as well as others in the area;
– grading: the property is subject to site plan control which requires applicants to have an engineer design a site grading plan to accept off-site flows onto the property, control and discharge them appropriately, while not allowing any additional flows off site. This process will also ensure the installation of all fencing/buffering/landscaping and lighting requirements;
– aesthetics: the design of the building will be a conventional style, compatible to area building styles; and
– applicants have agreed to shift the building five feet closer to the rear of the property, which will allow for a five-foot landscaped area between the front property line and the parking area. The applicants will also minimize the width of the parking area to 54 feet (two 18-foot parking spaces and an 18-foot driveway), allowing for an approximately six-foot landscaped area on each side of the parking area. The applicants are to install shrubs in both the front and side landscaped areas to enhance the off-site views.
An additional item that was discussed with the applicants is external lighting, Kuipers reported. As per the zoning bylaw, external lighting will be designed to avoid glare on adjacent properties.
Deputy mayor Dave Turton asked if the neighbours had seen the new plan?
Kuipers said it was circulated to neighbours, who were also directed to Kuipers’ report on the town’s website.
He said neighbours responded with an email “reiterating what their concerns were, but no additional concerns were brought forward.”
“So looking at the list of concerns, you’ve went over them all and it looks like you’ve done a pretty good job,” said Turton.
Mayor George Bridge said, “As I’ve said before, this is the type of housing we need in our community. It’s great to see someone who wants to step up and build some rentals.”
Council received the report and approved a bylaw to allow the rezoning.
