KITCHENER — The Minor Variance Application for the redevelopment of 165 Fairway Road North has been deferred to address outstanding concerns. The project involves converting an existing industrial building into a 33-unit residential development, including a front addition to the structure.
Proposed Development Details
The redevelopment seeks to transform the site into a multiple dwelling, with:
- 33 residential units.
- A front addition to the existing building.
- Parking provisions for 23 spaces, including three visitor spaces.
The site is currently designated as Low Rise Residential under the 2014 Official Plan and zoned Low Rise Residential Five Zone (RES-5) under Zoning By-law 2019-051.
Key Variances and Requested Changes
The application includes several requests to amend zoning requirements:
- Parking:
- Proposed: 0.6 spaces per unit (23 spaces total, including 3 visitor spaces).
- Required: 1 space per unit (33 spaces total) and 0.15 visitor spaces per unit.
- Setbacks:
- Rear Yard: 0.1 metres (required: 7.5 metres).
- Northerly Interior 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 permitted maximum of 0.6).
- Amenity Space:
- Limited indoor and outdoor amenities.
- Ground-floor units lack patios with direct access, as required by zoning regulations.
Challenges and Staff Concerns
Planning staff have raised concerns regarding:
- Overdevelopment: The proposed density, parking shortfall, and reduced setbacks are incompatible with the surrounding low-rise residential neighborhood.
- Amenity Space: The lack of functional amenity areas and patios for ground-floor units.
- Site Circulation: Issues with parking layout and site usability.
Recommendations and Next Steps
Planning staff have recommended deferring the application to allow the developer to:
- Increase amenity space.
- Reduce the building’s scale to align with FSR and setback requirements.
- Improve site circulation for better functionality and compatibility with the neighborhood.
The application is scheduled for further review at the March 19, 2025, Committee of Adjustment meeting, following revisions to address these concerns.
