The planning meeting this month of May will focus on three very different and specific things. First, council will consider yet another appeal of another heritage designation. Then, unlike last month, council will mull over a potential new development. And finally, council will look at some updates to a bylaw that tells you where the signs can all go. Will there be fireworks before Victoria Day? I guess we’ll see.
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 May 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.
72 Gordon Street: Objection to Notice of Intention to Designate – Back in March, council approved the heritage designation of this building at the corner of Gordon and Edinburgh. The building meets five out of nine criteria for designation under Ontario regulations due in no small part to its connect to Guelph industry back to the 1920s, but the owner of the building says that it hasn’t held on to a lot of that history and that any designation threatens redevelopment plans. Staff, respectfully, disagrees noting that the designation refers specifically to the exterior portions, which can be reused and repurposed. They want to let the designation stand.
Public Meeting: 105 Elmira Proposed OPA ZBA File OZS25-003 – There is presently a big empty plot at the corner to Willow and Elmira, but the developer wants to build a six-storey apartment there with 126 new units. Slam dunk, right? Well not so fast because this property is presently zoned for Neighbourhood Commercial Centre, which means that the area has to be rezoned for medium density, and given the letters on the agenda that’s going to a problem for some residents. This is the statutory planning meeting for this project, no final decisions will be made at this time and council will only vote to receive the report.
Proposed Amendments to Sign By-law (2021) – The Sign Bylaw has to be updated so that it aligns with the new Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw. That means updating some terms and definitions, but it also means updating the various economic zones to match the CZB, some new definitions, some new variance criteria, and some new approvals needed if a property is in the area of the Hanlon Expressway. There’s also a new regulation for a minimum setback for illuminated signs along property lines, and a new limitation for a 12-metre height for the placement of fascia signs on industrial buildings. Council will vote to receive this report with the full bylaw update scheduled to come back for final approval sometime in the third quarter.
Guelph Politico 