The April planning meeting promises to be a very busy one with two new project proposals on opposite ends of College Avenue, the final bite of the apple on the newest Community Planning Permit area, and a key decision on a major project in the east end. There’s another new student residence in the offing, a local religious institution might be getting an upgrade, and the east end might be getting another step closer to getting that grocery store. Here’s the preview!
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 April 10. 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.
NOTE #3: This meeting will take place on Wednesday instead of the usual Tuesday.
CLOSED MEETING:
Site-specific Land Use Planning Considerations – Not sure if this has something to do with a matter later in the meeting (see below), but for now this is covered under closed via section 239(2)(f) of the Municipal Act “regarding advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.”
31 Yorkshire Street South: Notice of Intention to Designate – Approved just last month at the Heritage Advisory Committee, this two-storey, red brick house with a front gable and a single-storey, hip roofed bay window in the façade and on the south elevation meets three of the nine prescribed criteria for determining cultural heritage value or interest, according to Ontario Regulation 9/06.
Decision Report 115 Watson Parkway North Proposed Zoning By-law Amendment and Draft Plan of Subdivision – We haven’t heard from this one since January 2025: four mixed use buildings with 928 dwelling units between 9 to 14 storeys plus 31 on-street townhouse units, 170 back-to-back townhouse units, 2,818 square metres of commercial space, a park and conservation of natural heritage system lands. Although staff included a list of conditions including servicing, environmental protection, design, infrastructure, and financial contributions, they are recommending to council that they approve this project.
Recommendation Report: Site Plan Control By-law and Delegated Authority for Planning Updates – These changes are met to keep up with provincial bills 23, 97, and 185, and would replace an outdated bylaw that’s been in effect for the last 40 year. What are these changes? Limited site plan control, reduced ability to regulate building design, exemptions of certain post-secondary institutions from site plan approval, expanded rules around approving timelines, and new site plan control for small developments near sensitive areas like wetlands and railroads. As usual, the goal here is to find ways to speed up approvals for new housing projects.
Statutory Public Meeting Report, 210, 214 and 222 College Avenue East, Proposed Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments – Another big student-based apartment building is being proposed here right next door to Cutten Fields. The building will be 10-storeys with 153 units of two- , three-, and four-bedroom units. There will be 65 parking spaces, a courtyard, a rooftop terrace and nearly 2,500 square metres of shared amenity space both indoors and outdoors. There are a number of issues to overcome including setbacks, lower than required parking, less amenity area that what’s recommended, but this report is only for receipt. No final decision will be made at this meeting.
Statutory Public Meeting Report and Decision Report for Proposed Zoning By-law Amendment application for 81 College Avenue West – Chabad of Guelph is looking to scale up. The existing building on this properly where they’re presently based will be demolished and replaced with a new three-storey place of worship that includes a daycare facility as a complementary use, along with an attached two-storey residential dwelling containing an additional dwelling unit (ADU). Or rather it will when this plan comes back to council for final approval because at this meeting the will only vote to receive the report.
Downtown Community Planning Permit Decision Report – Since this came to council for first thoughts in January, staff got rid of the sliding scale for the affordable housing requirement and replaced it with a flat five per cent that will jump to 33 when more height than allowed comes into play. The new affordable housing rules will also now not go into effect until May 2027, developers will be able to apply for as much as 20 per cent more height than allowed, there will be more flexibility for minor variations, more exemptions for small projects, and new expiry timelines. If council approved this at the meeting, there will be an appeal period, and then implementation and education will begin.
Guelph Politico 