Just the Facts:
● The proposed development at 2118 Richmond Street North seeks to increase the building height to 11 storeys and the number of residential units to 158, resulting in a density of 182 units per hectare.
● The design features an L-shaped building with a three-storey base and a seven-storey tower, replacing the previously planned townhouses with apartment units. The plan also includes underground parking and new amenity spaces.
● The development requires amendments to both the Official Plan and Zoning By-law to permit the increased density and revised building design, rezoning the site to a Site-Specific Residential R9-7 Zone.
LONDON — Encore at Upper Richmond Village is seeking approval for a significant residential development at 2118 Richmond Street North.
The proposed project involves an Official Plan Amendment (OPA) and a Zoning By-law Amendment (ZBA) to facilitate the construction of an eleven-storey residential apartment building on a 0.88-hectare site at the northeast intersection of Richmond Street and Sunningdale Road East.
Strik, Baldinelli, Moniz, Ltd. has been retained by the developer to prepare a planning report and to provide planning policy analysis supporting these applications.
The site is currently governed by site-specific policies and the B-30 Bonus Zone provisions, permitting a 10-storey apartment building with up to 107 dwelling units.
The proposed amendments aim to modify the existing approvals to accommodate a denser development with a revised building design and site layout.
The project would see an increase in the number of residential units from 107 to 158, translating to a density of 182 units per hectare, up from the previously permitted 123 units per hectare.
The exterior design will shift from including three-storey townhouses at the base to an L-shaped configuration with a three-storey base and a seven-storey tower above, oriented towards Richmond Street.
The revised design also incorporates a 40-metre building height, stepping back above the third and eighth floors along Sunningdale Road East to minimize visual impact.
The development includes 227 parking spaces, distributed between two levels of underground parking and surface parking at the rear of the site.
Additionally, the plan provides for 168 bicycle parking spaces. The building’s entrance will be accessed via a single right-in/right-out driveway from Richmond Street, with a lay-by area and ramp access to the underground garage.
The existing gravel driveway on Richmond Street will be upgraded, and the previous access from Sunningdale Road has been removed.
Amenity space is a key feature of the development, with outdoor common areas on the east side of the site and two internal amenity areas, including a ground-floor lounge and a rooftop level with both indoor and outdoor communal spaces.
The proposed OPA seeks to amend the site’s specific policy to remove references to the Bonus Zone, increase the permitted density, and eliminate the requirement for street-oriented townhouses.
The ZBA application requests the rezoning of the site to a Site-Specific Residential R9-7 Zone, which would permit the high-density apartment building with the proposed site-specific regulations.
These include reduced side and rear yard depths, increased building height, and a 48.4% minimum landscaped open space.
The site is designated as ‘Neighbourhoods’ in London’s Official Plan and fronts an ‘Urban Thoroughfare’ on Richmond Street and a ‘Civic Boulevard’ on Sunningdale Road East.
The proposed development aligns with the City’s objectives for intensification along major corridors and would contribute to the housing supply in the area.
The application demonstrates consistency with the Provincial Policy Statement and compatibility with surrounding land uses.
However, final approval is pending the removal of holding provisions related to municipal services, development agreements, groundwater impact studies and the go ahead from council.
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