WATERLOO — At 6-14 Dietz Avenue North, developer Copper Bay Homes Ltd. proposes building a 13-storey apartment building when only six storeys are allowed in the current zoning.
Copper Bay Homes has been building in the Waterloo Region since 2010, and the company mainly focuses on central areas
in Uptown Waterloo. A few examples of their completed developments include 72 Erb Street E, Waterloo, and 27 Gaukel Street, Kitchener.
The developer also requests amendments to the ocial plan and the zoning by-law in the application for the subject lands.
The proposal includes a 40-meter-tall apartment with 135 dwelling units with up to 227 bedrooms ranging from 1 to 3 bedrooms in each unit and 2,255 square meters of amenity area for residents.
Also, on the main floor of the building, there are five townhouses ranging in 2-3 bedroom homes. Of the 135 units, 15 are aordable 1-bedroom units for residents, and the remaining would be at market rate.
The existing lots contain single-family homes that would get demolished if the application is approved, and the current tenants have been made aware.
The table below breaks down the total amount of bedrooms and units for the proposal.
Table Image Source: City of Waterloo Website
The current zoning is mixed-use medium-density residential, allowing a maximum building height of 20 meters (RMU-20) and a maximum density of 450 bedrooms per hectare.
Copper Bay Homes is applying to change the zoning of the Ocial Plan to re-designate the lands to mixed-use medium-high density residential, allowing for up to 40 meters (RMU-40) in maximum building height and a density of 600 bedrooms per hectare.
However, the developer needs more than this zone change to accommodate the number of bedrooms.
The City of Waterloo only allows for a specific number of bedrooms in an area, so for this project to proceed, a special provision is needed to allow up to 890 bedrooms per hectare to permit all 227 bedrooms.
The developer also seeks a reduced parking space requirement per dwelling unit from 1.2 to 0.79, including visitor and resident spaces.
The parking spaces proposed are 106 for the re-development, with 84 bicycle spots provided.
Although there is no parking space for every unit, the subject lands are within the Willis Way Major Transit Station Area (MTSA).
The MTSAs are areas within 500-800 m of an ION rapid transit station. The Willis Way station is located on Caroline Street in Uptown Waterloo, close to shops and activities.
On October 4, 2023, a neighbourhood meeting took place to discuss the development, giving residents in the area a chance to voice concerns and ask any questions. City sta are still reviewing the application proposal and making final decisions.
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