After changing owners and about 2.5 years after council last provided approval, the development at the southeast corner of Line 6 and Simcoe Road is once again set to move ahead.
Council approved the subdivision agreement for the development now known as Simcoe Gardens, based on a request from Marshall Smith on behalf of 2587499 Ontario Inc. for 71 townhouses on the property at 539-563 Simcoe Road and four semi-detached units at 2575 Line 6, during its regular council meeting on June 18.
The site is about 2.49 hectares, of which about 1.56 hectares or 62 per cent is set to be developed while the remainder is either to be set aside for future widening of Line 6 and Simcoe Road, or considered a floodplain by the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, according to a report by town senior planner Ray Kelso.
There is also a 300-square-metre playground or “tot lot” proposed on the east side of the site.
When the issue last came before committee of the whole on Dec. 7, 2021, both Ward 5 Coun. Peter Ferragine and Ward 7 Coun. Peter Dykie were opposed, but both voted in favour of the updated plan.
“When this first came to the table, there were quite a few concerns,” Ferragine said, listing issues for EMS, waste collection, parking and stormwater management. “It looks like everything that I was concerned about has been identified and has been addressed.”
Mayor James Leduc agreed that it was “great to see” the issues handled on a project that has been “a long time coming.”
While the semi-detached units are expected to be free-hold and have direct access to Line 6, a new road is proposed to extend south from Line 6 and form a loop before turning west to connect with Simcoe Road, to provide access to the 71 condominium townhouses which are divided into the following types:
- rear-loaded block — 21
- front-loaded block — 26
- back-to-back — 22
- rear lane — two
Depending on the layout, most units have two proposed parking spaces each, but some have four, and the subdivision is also set to include 19 visitor parking spaces, including one accessible space.
The property is already designated Residential Built Up under the town’s official plan and part of Special Policy Area 6 which allows multiple units on private roads and clustered townhouses.
On Dec. 21, 2021, council amended the zoning for the properties to Residential Two (R2) with exceptions to permit the proposed development.
— With files from Patrick Bales
