KITCHENER, November 2024 — The City of Kitchener is reviewing a Minor Variance Application for the redevelopment of 165 Fairway Road North in the Centreville Chicopee neighborhood. The project proposes converting an industrial building into a 33-unit residential development with a front addition to the existing structure.
Development Highlights
The proposal includes:
- 33 residential units in a multiple dwelling.
- 23 parking spaces, including three visitor spaces (0.6 spaces per unit, below the required 1 space per unit).
- Limited amenity space, with no direct patio access for ground-floor units.
The site is designated as ‘Low Rise Residential’ in the 2014 Official Plan and zoned ‘Low Rise Residential Five Zone (RES-5)’ under Zoning By-law 2019-051.
Requested Variances
To facilitate the development, the application seeks the following amendments:
- Parking:
- Proposed: 0.6 spaces per unit (23 total).
- Required: 1 space per unit (33 total) and 0.15 visitor spaces per unit.
- Setbacks:
- Rear Yard: 0.1 metres (required: 7.5 metres).
- Northerly Side Yard: 0 metres (required: 3 metres).
- Southerly Side Yard: 1.8 metres (required: 3 metres).
- Floor Space Ratio (FSR):
- Proposed: 0.75, exceeding the maximum permitted 0.6.
- Amenity Space:
- Insufficient indoor and outdoor spaces; ground-floor units lack required patios.
Staff Concerns and Recommendations
Planning staff identified the following issues:
- Overdevelopment: Excessive density and inadequate parking provisions.
- Amenity Space: Limited areas for residents, impacting livability.
- Neighborhood Compatibility: The proposal fails to align with the surrounding low-rise residential neighborhood.
To address these concerns, staff recommended deferring the application to allow revisions, including:
- Increasing amenity space for residents.
- Reducing the building’s scale to align with FSR and setback requirements.
- Improving site circulation to enhance functionality.
Committee Decision
At the November 19, 2024, Committee of Adjustment meeting, members unanimously agreed to defer the application. Bob McColl, a committee member, supported the recommendation, stating:
“I think you know most things in life, you only get one shot to do it right, and I think it’s good to do it right the first time.”
Next Steps
The application has been deferred to the March 19, 2025, Committee of Adjustment meeting or sooner if the applicant resolves outstanding issues. This deferral allows time for revisions to meet the city’s urban design and livability standards.
