FERGUS – Centre Wellington’s Heritage Advisory Committee will discuss a proposed five-storey residential building at 350 St. Andrew St. W. in Fergus at its next meeting.
The matter came to the committee for information at its Nov. 9 meeting.
The site is beside Melville United Church and was formerly a doctor’s office. The building is now vacant and has been purchased by VanGrootheest Holdings Inc.
According to the planning justification report, the proposal is to demolish the existing building and construct a new building that would contain 36 residential units with commercial space on the ground floor.
The report proposes 21 parking spots and a communal rooftop amenity for residents to use.
The proposal requires a zoning amendment to permit an increase in the maximum height from three storeys (11 metres) to five storeys (17.5 metres).
But it proposes that the top two storeys are stepped back from St. Andrew Street.
“The step-back of the fifth storey and overall massing will help ensure a human-scale of development that takes into consideration the context of the surrounding built form and scale by creating a ‘narrower’ building mass at the top,” states the report written by MHBC Planning.
Drawings of a five-storey residential unit proposed for 350 St. Andrew St. W. (Centre Wellington Township photo)
It also states there will be no adverse shadowing impact on nearby buildings and no negative impact on the heritage property (Melville Church) next door.
“The proposed development will provide for a compact, and cost-effective building design that is compatible with existing surrounding uses and the small-town scale and character of downtown urban centres within the county,” the report states.
While the proposal has just been filed, councillor Kirk McElwain, who sits on the heritage committee, said he’d like the committee to discuss the proposal earlier rather than later in the process.
“Downtown Elora and Fergus are being attacked by multi-storey condos. It’s time heritage got involved up front,” McElwain said.
The township’s heritage planner Mariana Iglesias said staff hasn’t reviewed the application yet and no public meeting date has been set.
“It’s very early in the process,” she said.
McElwain said, “I just want to make sure the heritage committee has the opportunity to bring their thoughts forward early, before staff makes its recommendation.
“I’m concerned that downtown is not suitable for condo buildings.”
The committee agreed to discuss the matter at its next meeting on Dec. 9. Ultimately council will make the final decision on the project.
