Last week’s Committee of Adjustment and Planning Committee meetings (August 10) revealed some new projects coming to the Huntsville area.
A senior-friendly, 15-unit apartment building on West Road
Kenmar Homes made a minor variance application to accommodate side balconies and to reduce the required number of parking spaces for a new project at 5 West Road. The project is a 15-unit apartment building comprised of one-bedroom units.
The variances are to reduce the number of parking spaces required from 22.5 to 15, to reduce the westerly side yard setback from 8m to 5.6m to accommodate side balconies – the building setback would be 7m – and to locate the driveway 1m from the adjacent residentially zoned property instead of the required 4m.
Planning consultant John Gallagher, speaking on behalf of the owner of the property, said, “We’re very excited to be introducing this project to the committee. It’s been at least, I’m guessing, 10 years since someone has looked at building one-bedroom apartments in the town of Huntsville. One bedrooms are, if you ask the District housing, what’s needed the most throughout the area.”
Gallagher added that one-bedroom units typically require less parking and that the project is walking distance to downtown Huntsville. He said that the units are “generous” and that there will be an elevator in the building.
Pinestone Engineering was engaged to look at stormwater management for the site. “What they are looking at is having to catch the stormwater in the parking lot at the back, pipe it up to the front, and it would be required to upgrade the storm pipe along West Road,” said Gallagher.
The building will meet height requirements and Duncan Ross Architect has been engaged to “come up with a building that we believe fits into the site properly, and trying to keep the natural colours and the use of stone to give it a nice appearance.”
Among the objections and concerns by neighbouring residents were the location of the garbage, retaining the existing mature trees which provide privacy for the adjacent building, and ensuring pleasing aesthetics facing West Road.
Gallagher said that the tree buffer will remain, that the site plan may include trees out front as long as it doesn’t impact visibility, and that his client is looking at moving the garbage collection to the back of the building.
Committee approved the application.
The site where a 15-unit apartment building is proposed at 5 West Road (Photo via Committee of Adjustment agenda)
Huntsville Haven west of Muskoka Road 3
The developers of a proposed new residential subdivision – Huntsville Haven, located to the west of Muskoka Road 3 – were before committee to request a zoning amendment for the lands from Rural One to single and multiple family residential. The zoning amendment will allow for a mix of single family dwellings, townhouses, and an apartment block.
A draft of the subdivision has already received approval and includes 196 single residential lots, two blocks for multiple family residential dwellings and blocks for parkland and stormwater management.
Phase one of the project would include 20 residential lots and a “massive parkland block”, one of four included in the overall plan which is “well in excess of the 5 per cent requirement”, according to planning consultant John Gallagher.
Gallagher also noted that pedestrian connections to the town-owned ravine behind the Muskoka Meadows subdivision have been added to the plan. “We think that’s positive for keeping any kids that might live there off the road and able to access the school (Spruce Glen) that’s right there.”
Exceptions to specific zones within the project – which will be developed over eight phases – will increase setbacks and prohibit development within areas of constraint identified through the Environmental Impact Assessment. All of the areas slated for development beyond phase one have been placed in a holding category to ensure that proper Town and District agreements are in place before they are permitted to proceed.
The subdivision is within an area designated as “Future Urban” within Huntsville’s Official Plan.
Committee approved the zoning amendment.
The location of the proposed Huntsville Haven subdivision
A new Tim Hortons in Novar
The Planning Committee approved a site plan application for 40 West Service Road in Novar – adjacent to Highway 11 – for a project that would include a Tim Hortons drive-thru, a convenience store and a gas station. The site is currently vacant but was formerly a gas station. Cantam Group out of Scarborough is the project coordinator.
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- An architectural drawing of the proposed Tim Hortons and convenience store in Novar (Image via Planning Committee agenda)
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- The site of the proposed Tim Hortons, convenience store and gas station on West Service Road in Novar (Photo via Planning Committee agenda)
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I totally agree with the tenor of most of the above comments; although more with respect to the “senior-friendly” apartment building than the subdivision. Mr. Gallagher’s comment regarding the District favouring one-bedroom apartments, in all probability, refers to “affordable”, one-bedroom apartments. These “generous” apartments will be in no wise affordable. As Mr. Bartlett avers, where are the government subsidies to support our highest demographic?
And anybody who has been following Mayor Aitchison’s exasperation with the proposed Fox Lake subdivision needs no more proof of the generality of any Official Plan than to note that the Huntsville Haven subdivision lands are zoned “Future Urban” on the OP. To me at least, this would imply mixed development, with appropriate commercial included, rather than another massive subdivision.
Who is going to lose money building these low income homes? Low income home prices are currently set around $200,000 +. You don’t get much of a home in Huntsville for less than $250,000 and the new homes off Muskoka Road 3 are going for $400,000 +. The Govt needs to step up. It’s not up to the private sector to absorb the cost.
I totally agree with Mr. Whillan’s answer. The poverty level in this town is high. These people have to rent the cheapest thing they can find. Unfortunately they get hooked into renting from slum lords because of lack of funds. They should have options just like the other residents to pick and choose what is suitable for them. Instead they have to cram into small spaces (such as renting 1 or 2 bedrooms when they need 3 or 4). We need change.
In my opinion, there is clear crisis in affordable housing in Huntsville (this, I would note is not the same thing as a shortage of “public” housing) And I believe that this is generally acknowledged by all. And yet the town continues to assume that it is someone else’s problem. And yet the town can address the problem directly, as many municipalities have in the past. Huntsville council simply needs to deny all building requests until the affordability issue is dealt with. Other municipalities have found that miraculously, builders begin to create lower margin apartment complexes. Of course, that means that Huntsville will have to defer those delicious property taxes from the $250,000 + single family homes. It is time that council takes policy direction from the citizens and not from the builders.
Are you serious about no forest left in Huntsville?
Give your head a shake!
There won’t be any forest left in Huntsville before long. Who is buying these houses? I sure couldn’t afford them.