This month’s planning meeting will have a decision, a proposal, and an objection. The fate of a hotel property in the south end will be decided, and so will the heritage quality of an old farmhouse on York Road. In terms of new developments, after years of planning, we finally have a plan for an empty stretch north of Arkell that’s been in the works for a long time now.
NOTE #1: Delegates will be able to appear at this meeting via telephone, but you do have to register with the clerks office before 10 am on Friday April 8. You can also submit written delegations and correspondences for agenda items.
NOTE #2: The meeting will be the open to the public, but if you would like to follow it from home, you will still be live-stream the meeting on the City of Guelph’s website here.
601 Scottsdale Drive Zoning By-law Amendment Decision – You may recall that council heard the application to turn the old Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Centre into a new student residence last December. Staff are recommending that council approve the project with some minor adjustments, like a more neutral colour scheme instead of the very bright and very colourful mural that was in the original conceptual drawings.
Statutory Public Meeting Report: 12 Poole St. Proposed Official Plan Amendment File OZS22-002 – Development on this site has been in the works for over a decade, developers sought a second three-year extension from council in October 2019, and it expires this fall, so it’s a good thing they’re bringing forward the latest plan for this plot northwest of Victoria Road South at Arkell. What’s with all the delays? Well, this is a pretty big project.
The zoning amendment request is looking to build 308 four-storey stacked townhouses around the perimeter of the property, plus an apartment block that’s six-to-ten storeys with another 185 units, meaning nearly 500 new units within the 2.37 hectares of this development. The zoning on this property is complicated as it was once “Low Density Greenfield Residential”, and while this amendment would label it “High Density Residential” there’s still an appeal of the current zoning, “Specialized General Apartment” (R.4A-38) before the Ontario Land Tribunal awaiting the result of this decision.
This is just the statutory meeting for this development proposal. No final decision will be made at this meeting, council will only vote to receive the report.
Notice of Objection to Intention to Designate: 919 York Road – Another matter from last December’s planning meeting was a move by council to designate Matthew’s farmhouse on the property, but the property owner has some objections to this. While the owner, Brodie Limited, is okay with the preservation of the stone gate and the stone shed, they think the farmhouse is a loss in its current state because it’s a “significant and ongoing safety hazard” and that “designation of the farmhouse will not save it, and there is a pressing public safety interest in having it demolished.” Staff are recommending that council proceed with the designation anyway.
Guelph Politico 