GUELPH — The Baker District Redevelopment project in downtown Guelph, led by Windmill Development Group Ltd., received approval in December 2023.
The project involves the development of two 15-storey mixed-use towers containing 353 residential units with ground-floor commercial spaces and underground parking.
The site is located at 55 Baker Street, as well as 152 and 160 Wyndham Street North, within Guelph’s urban core. GSP Group Inc. applied on behalf of Windmill Development Group, and the process for the Zoning By-law Amendment commenced with its submission on August 28, 2023.
The city deemed the application complete on September 20, 2023, with the Statutory Public Meeting held on October 17, 2023. No revisions to the development proposal have been made since its submission.
The approved Zoning By-law Amendment included changes to the current “Specialized Downtown 1” (D.1-29) Zone and a re-zoning to a new “Specialized Downtown 1 (D.1-xx)” Zone in both the City of Guelph’s 1995 Comprehensive Zoning By-law (1995)-14864 and the 2023 Comprehensive Zoning By-law (2023)-20790.
The amendments will facilitate the construction of two 15-storey towers, including provisions for stacked townhouses on the site as part of a future development phase.
The approved development includes 353 residential units distributed across the two towers. The north tower will contain 179 units, while the south tower will hold 174 units.
Both towers will predominantly feature one-bedroom units, but two-bedroom and three-bedroom units are also included to cater to a broader range of residents.
The ground-floor commercial space will provide additional amenities and services to support the residential community.
The underground parking facilities will serve both towers, although the project includes provisions for reduced parking ratios. A parking ratio of 0.75 spaces per unit was approved, significantly lower than the minimum of 1 parking space per unit typically required by the Zoning By-law.
Additionally, a further reduction to 0.5 parking spaces per unit has been approved for units meeting Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) definition of affordable housing.
Several site-specific zoning regulations were included in the approval, including but not limited to:
● Building Height: A maximum height of 15 storeys received approval despite the existing zoning map, which limits building heights to 3-6 storeys in some areas of the site.
● Side Yard Setbacks: The exterior side yard has been increased to 17.5 metres, where the Zoning By-law typically requires no setback.
● Tower Separation: A 23-metre tower separation was approved, slightly reduced from the Zoning By-law’s standard 25-metre requirement for separation between towers above the 12th storey.
● Stepback Requirements: The development allows for a 6-metre stepback above the 2nd storey instead of the usual 4th-storey stepback required under the Zoning By-law.
Furthermore, the amendment allows for off-site parking to accommodate the needs of the development, a departure from the standard requirement for parking to be located on the same lot as the use it serves.
The Baker District Redevelopment aligns with Guelph’s vision for urban intensification and sustainability
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