Planning matters return on schedule for the second Tuesday of February, and there’s going to be some unusual business for this planning meeting just to keep things interesting. Council will be asked to make some decisions regarding some recent applications, they will be asked to made a decision about a new Official Plan Amendment, and then they will make a decision to keep to a previous decision.
NOTE #1: Delegates will be able to appear at this meeting in-person or via tele-presense but you do have to register with the clerks office before 10 am on Friday February 9. You can also submit written delegations and correspondences for agenda items.
NOTE #2: In addition to meeting in-person, this meeting will also be live-streamed on the City of Guelph’s website here.
CLOSED MEETING:
Status Update on Downtown Land Disposition – It’s uncertain what land this specifically pertains to, but since this is a matter of “proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board; and advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose” council has to talk about it in-camera.
Decision Report 14 Stevenson Street North Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments File: OZS23-011 – The project proposing a three-level multi-residential building with two levels above grade and one slightly below. The whole project will have 10 units in total got a mixed reception when it came to council last November, but it has the greenlight to proceed from staff who are recommending approval to council.
Decision Report 1563-1576 Gordon Street; 42 & 48 Lowes Road West and 164-182 Dawn Avenue Proposed Zoning Bylaw Amendment , 2024-45 – You’d be forgiven if you forgot this project because it was first presented to council in the summer of 2022. The project calls for 150 stacked townhouse units across six blocks, plus eight single detached units fronting onto Dawn Avenue. Staff are recommending to council that this project should get their approval.
Public Meeting and Decision for Official Plan Amendment to Implement the York-Elizabeth Land Use Study – Are you ready for Official Plan Amendment #93?! Building on the plan that was developed through to June 2022, this area is split between four different areas that preserve land for low density residential, employment and manufacturing while making some changes to allow for more density and flexibility in some of the zoning. Recent changes includes the re-designation of lands to Mixed Office/Commercial along Elizabeth Street, and changes at the northwest corner of York Road and Victoria Road that allow for mixed business use. This is both the statutory public meeting and the decision meeting for this OPA; council will decide whether or not to adopt it by the end of the meeting, but if you delegate, you’ll get your 10 minutes!
Notice of Objection to Intention to Designate 331 Clair Road East under Section 29, Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act – You may recall that last November council approved a heritage designation for the old James Hanlon farmhouse as the owner intended to reuse portions of it for a common amenity space in the centre of a new townhouse development. Having said that, it was the owner that filed a notice of objection just before Christmas “on the basis that it has been working collaboratively with City staff with respect to the proposed ZBA (zoning bylaw amendment) in an effort to resolve all technical issues.” Regardless of the objection, staff are recommending that the heritage designation proceed.
Notice of Objection to Intention to Designate 2187 Gordon Street under Section 29, Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act – Back in October, council approved the heritage designation for 2187 Gordon Street, which is also known as the Kidd barn and the Blair farmhouse. Although the property owner raised objects during the Heritage Guelph meeting on the matter last fall, they skipped the planning meeting of council and then filed an objection. The reasons for the objection are familiar, the property owner says it’s not feasible to save the buildings in their current condition, it will cost too much money to restore them, and that the buildings have not been used for an agricultural purposed in decades so preserving them based on it’s relevance to farming is irrelevant (?). Staff recommend that the designation stands.
Guelph Politico 