Just when you thought Barrie couldn’t get much higher…
A public meeting is scheduled for Aug. 14 to consider a rezoning and Official Plan change to build two 45-storey residential towers, plus a six-storey podium, at 126, 136 and 140 Bradford St.
Crown (Bradford) Developments wants 912 residences, 15 per cent or 136 units of affordable housing, retail space and 364 parking spaces on just less than an acre on the west side of Bradford, south of Victoria Street and north of John Street.
City residents are already weighing in on the project.
“While I am not against buildings being built in Barrie, I do not want 45 storeys being built at the end of our road. Well actually two (buildings),” said Amanda Lark-Chambers, in correspondence to the city.
“I really don’t understand how the City of Barrie is considering this on a local road. There is still over 900 units and only 364 parking spaces. Where are all these cars going to park?" asked Lark-Chambers.
“I’m pretty sure that if people buying these units can afford to purchase them, they are going to have cars.”
Crown is also asking to amend the current zoning of general commercial to central area commercial with special provisions.
They include a height of 142.15 metres, when 45 m is allowed, and the gross floor area’s maximum percentage of the property or lot area, increasing from 600 per cent to 1,311 per cent.
They are also requesting that rear-yard setback go to three metres from the seven metres in the zoning bylaw.
Les Fraser has a problem with that.
“Rear yard setback a mere three metres will seriously encroach on the back yards of Sanford Street citizens,” he wrote to the city. “With a building of the height proposed, even the seven meter current bylaw will make the building overbearing to adjacent homes, and will have its residents looking directly into the Sanford Street properties, virtually eliminating their privacy.”
Fraser also has concerns about the parking, or lack thereof.
“The number of parking spaces being proposed…is totally insufficient,” he wrote. “This low number will result in residents of the proposed building being forced to use local residential streets to park their vehicles, which is totally unacceptable, both from quality of life, congestion, disruption to snow removal, etc.”
Brian Honey says the project just doesn’t fit the space.
“Having two towers on slightly less than one acre makes for very high density. Social pressure will be intense,” he said.
Lark-Chambers said she also has questions about the affordable housing aspect of the project.
“Is it affordable? Low income? I’m a bit confused,” she wrote.
Affordable housing is a range of housing types allowing families and individuals, of all income levels, to find suitable places to live without spending a disproportionate percentage of their income on housing. Affordable housing can include ownership, rental or subsidized housing.
The city defines affordable rental housing as a unit for which the rent doesn’t exceed 30 per cent of the gross annual household income for low- to moderate-income households. That income is based upon the most recent Canada Census statistics for Barrie, which is updated every five years.
As for heights of 45 storeys, that would set a new benchmark for Barrie.
Debut Condos, being built at 55 Dunlop St. W., between Maple and Mary streets, will be a mixed-use, high-rise development consisting of two 32-storey residential towers, totalling 495 units, being constructed in two phases.
This includes a six-storey podium, with ground floor retail/commercial uses and parking on levels two to six. The development includes a pedestrian arcade that will connect the Dunlop Street frontage with the existing transportation terminal and waterfront.
Foundation work is already underway for the twin Debut condo tower.
A public meeting is one of the first steps in the city’s planning process.
A staff report on the Crown applications is anticipated to be before city council’s general committee in early 2025 for consideration. If approved, a subsequent application for site plan control would be required.
The Aug. 14 public meeting on these applications is to be held as part of the city’s affordability committee meeting, scheduled for the council chambers at 6 p.m.
