ELORA – A property at the corner of Beatty Line and Farley Road in Fergus has been zoned to allow for a five-storey apartment building and other mixed residential units.
Jennark Homes first proposed the mixed residential development in 2018, asking to change the zoning of the land on the southwest corner of Beatty Line and Farley Road.
Jennark Homes planning representative Astrid Clos explained in Wellington County the vacancy rate for rental units is one per cent, however a healthy vacancy rate is about 3%.
Clos said it’s often questioned why more rental space isn’t built.
“Council has a local builder before them willing to build rental housing,” Clos said. “This zoning really needs to be approved.”
The original proposal consisted of a four-storey, 71-unit apartment building and 16 semi-detached dwellings and one single family home.
A public meeting was held in February at the township office and neighbourhood property owners voiced concerns over compatibility, lack of amenity area and the removal of trees.
Jennark asked for further community input and revised the proposal to suggest a five-storey, 87-unit apartment building with underground parking, 12 single family homes and 18 semi-detached homes. The amenity area was increased in size and a two-metre planting strip is proposed between the new single family homes and the existing lots on Duncan Court.
The semi-detached houses would be on the other side of the condo road, which will also have the specialized zoning limiting them to a maximum two-storey height.
“The apartment proposal was revised to ensure that it meets the minimum amount of common amenity required by the zoning bylaw and in fact the common amenity area for the apartment site was more than doubled in the revised plan,” Clos explained.
The single family homes will abut onto the homes on Duncan Court and will be limited to two storeys, even though the current zoning allows for three storeys.
Councillor Ian MacRae asked whether Jennark could go a step further and say bungalows are the preferred home.
“I know how important it is to the residents on Duncan Court not to look out their backyards and see a two-storey building with people looking down into them,” he said.
Clos confirmed the building has committed to building bungalows where possible, but that won’t be the exclusive housing type.
“I would make the comment as well that this is an urban area and a growing area and I think when you’re putting single family homes next to single family homes there is an expectation that you live in an urban area, you may look out, you may see another home,” she said.
“And I understand that concern but I think they’ve already committed to the maximum two-storey height, and to build bungalows where possible.”
MacRae further encouraged bungalows saying there is a shortage in Centre Wellington.
“I’m aware of a lot of people who’d desperately love to get out of their houses and into something smaller where it’s a single storey where they can wander around so I really encourage bungalow,” he said.
Clos said a 1.8-metre fence as well as a three-metre wide landscape buffer would abutt the west property line.
Councillor Neil Dunsmore asked who would be responsible for the maintenance of the buffer line.
Clos said it would likely be maintained through assurances built into conditions and agreements and development agreements.
Centre Wellington managing director of planning and development Brett Salmon said the township has a similar agreement regarding homes on Collie Court in Storybrook East.
“The homes along that stretch have tree planting put in by the developer and covenant on title that they’re responsible, the homeowner has to retain those trees, can’t build sheds and what not in that area,” he explained.
Councillor Stephen Kitras asked what was going to be included in the common amenity area for the apartment.
“So that’s something that will be reviewed at the time of site plan approval for the apartment site,” Clos said. “We don’t have the details of that yet but that’s something the township has approval authority over.”
Council approved the recommendation to change the zoning to permit an apartment building and semi-detached dwellings on the property on the corner of Beatty Line and Farley Road in Fergus. A site plan for the property has not been made.
Only councillor Bob Foster was opposed.
“Congratulations … this kind of housing is absolutely needed in the town and so we appreciate your patience, I know it took longer than you anticipated and I’m looking forward to this building,” Mayor Kelly Linton said after the vote.
