LONDON — A development proposal for 489 Upper Queen Street, approved at Council earlier this year, is expected to begin construction in the spring of 2024.
The developer for the project is Mansion Homes, a local developer in the city of London.
The development proposal comprises 10 cluster townhouses, split into two buildings, each a 2-storey dwelling unit.
A neighbourhood group opposed to the development proposal has recently dropped its appeal scheduled to be heard by the OLT (Ontario Land Tribunal) on October 30, 2023.
The project has seen an eight-month delay due to the appeal, but the development process can now proceed since the withdrawal.
The subject lands were previously zoned Residential (R1-9), which only permits single detached dwellings. Since the beginning of the year, when
Council approved the zoning amendment, the subject lands have been rezoned to the Residential Special Provision (R5-7(_)) zone.
The new zoning permits cluster townhouses and cluster stacked townhouse dwellings.
However, the special provision that is now in place ensures that stacked cluster townhouses are specifically not constructed, and only cluster townhouses are, as the development must conform with the two-storey single detached dwellings on the street.
Special Provisions have been added to permit yard setbacks, a reduced density, and a reduced building height due to the new zone change.
Density for the property has been approved for 36 units per hectare from the previous allowance of 60 units per hectare, and the building height has been approved for a maximum building height of 9.5m from the prior allowance of 12.0m.
In the original proposal for the development, Mansion Homes requested a maximum building height of 10.5m for 11 cluster townhouses and 2-3 storeys per townhouse.
Although these requested provisions conformed with the requested (R5-7) zoning, they did not fit the neighbourhood streetscape. Therefore, the city required Mansion Homes to change the requested provisions to fit the neighbourhood.
The city permitted a maximum of 2 storeys to conform with the surrounding neighbourhood, as up to 36 units per hectare will be allowed.
Therefore, the permitted two storeys will not allow flexibility for the developer to propose extra units.
These regulations are set to ensure the development stays compatible with the surrounding residential, low-rise neighbourhood.
A report to the Planning and Environment Committee mentions consideration to zoning for the property “to ensure development on the lands remains at an appropriate scale and building typology that is compatible with surrounding properties and does not overwhelm the neighbourhood with over intensification,” as stated in the report.
The setbacks in the proposal were requested to permit a decrease in the front, rear, and interior side yards.
Below is an image representing the yard setbacks for the special provision that the development proposal requested to change from the required amounts.
The front yard depth required 6.0m; therefore, a setback of 2.0m was requested.
The north sideyard and rear yard setbacks have been increased from being required to be no less than 3.0m for the north and south yards to a minimum requirement of 6.0m for both. Also, the south interior yard setback has been increased to a minimum requirement of 10.0m.
Parking regulations for the approved cluster townhouses zoning require a minimum of 1.5 parking spaces per dwelling unit.
Mansion Homes offers 2.0 spaces per dwelling unit and four visitor spaces, totalling 24 parking spaces for the entire development, exceeding the city’s requirements.
The property location is within the Built-Area of London and the Primary Transit Area (PTA). The subject lands are located 90m from Commissioners Road East, a street that connects to downtown London, approximately ten minutes through bus transportation.
The LTC bus service is available along Upper Queen Street, with a stop approximately 15m north of the subject property.
Comment Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in the comments section of this blog are solely those of the individuals who submit them and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of the author or the website owner. We do not endorse or support any comments that may be offensive, discriminatory, or harmful in nature.
We encourage open and respectful discussions and welcome diverse perspectives. However, it is important to remember that comments are the personal opinions of the commenters and not official representations of our stance or values. We reserve the right to moderate or remove comments that violate our comment policy or that we deem inappropriate.
Please engage in discussions with courtesy and respect for one another, keeping in mind that differing opinions can coexist in a constructive manner. Thank you for being a part of our community and for helping to maintain a positive and inclusive environment.
