Just the Facts:
● The redevelopment of 247 Lowther Street North, Cambridge, Ontario, is led by MHBC Planning on behalf of Frankor Capital Corporation and includes the construction of three stacked townhouse buildings with 54 units.
● The application includes revisions such as a reduction in parking stall width to add five additional parking spaces, adjustments to setbacks, and reductions in unit size and amenity space requirements.
● The site has been rezoned from ‘Industrial’ (M5) to ‘Multiple Residential’ (RM3) with site-specific provisions, allowing a higher density of 90 units per hectare and facilitating the transition of the area from industrial to residential use.
CAMBRIDGE – On August 6, 2024, Cambridge Council approved the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment applications for the redevelopment of 247 Lowther Street North.
The application, led by MHBC Planning on behalf of Frankor Capital Corporation, will convert the site from an industrial area into a residential community featuring three stacked townhouse buildings with a total of 54 dwelling units.
The Subject Lands, covering approximately 0.6 hectares, were previously designated as ‘Business Industrial’ under the City of Cambridge’s Official Plan and were zoned ‘Industrial’ (M5) in the Zoning By-law.
With the council’s approval, the site has been redesignated to ‘Low/Medium Density Residential’ with a site-specific policy that allows for a maximum density of 90 units per hectare, which is higher than the standard maximum of 75 units per hectare in similar areas.
The zoning for the property has been changed from ‘Industrial’ (M5) to ‘Multiple Residential’ (RM3) with site-specific provisions to accommodate the new development.
The approved provisions include:
● A reduced front yard setback of 4.5 metres instead of the required 6 metres.
● A reduced interior side yard setback of 3 metres instead of the required 7.5 metres.
● A reduced exterior side yard setback of 3 metres instead of the required 6 metres.
Additionally, the minimum gross floor area for one-bedroom units has been reduced from 50 square metres to 42 square metres, and the common amenity area requirement has been lowered from 30 square metres per unit to 11.4 square metres per unit.
The development also includes 68 parking spaces, resulting in a parking ratio of 1.2 spaces per unit, which is slightly below the standard requirement of 1.25 spaces per unit.
The additional parking spaces were achieved by reducing the width of parking stalls from 2.9 metres to 2.75 metres, which allowed for the inclusion of five additional parking spaces.
The redevelopment aligns with the city’s objectives of promoting residential use in the Built-Up Area, particularly within the Regeneration Area, which supports the viability of existing and planned transit services in the Preston Major Transit Station Area (MTSA).
Following the council’s approval, the Official Plan Amendment will now be submitted to the Regional Municipality of Waterloo for final approval.
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