LONDON — Copia Developments, led by Phil Pattyn, has submitted a comprehensive proposal to the City of London for a major redevelopment project at 1470-1474 Highbury Avenue North.
The ambitious plan includes the construction of three residential towers—standing at 15 (Building C), 16 (Building A), and 18 storeys (Building B), respectively comprising a total of 400 residential units.
Situated on the east side of Highbury Avenue North, approximately 140 meters south of Kilally Road, the subject lands have a frontage of 73.2 meters along Highbury Avenue North and a total lot area of 1.453 hectares.
Currently, the site hosts a single detached dwelling on 1470 Highbury Avenue North, with another dwelling previously located on 1474 Highbury Avenue North, which has since been removed.
The proposed redevelopment envisions three towers interconnected by a four-storey podium, with Buildings’ A’ and ‘B’ sharing the podium on the north side and Building ‘C’ featuring its own podium on the south side of the subject lands. Buildings ‘A’ and ‘B’ will house a total of 298 residential units, while buildings ‘C’ will comprise 102 units.
The project also proposes a residential density of 455 units per hectare.
The development plans include underground parking garages below the podiums, with additional surface and accessible parking spaces available at the rear of each building to accommodate parking needs.
Approximately 410 parking spaces are proposed, ensuring a parking ratio of one space per unit.
Moreover, the development plans prioritize amenities and community spaces, with common indoor amenity spaces located at the front of each podium facing the street, as well as between the podiums on Floors 2-4.
Additionally, extensive glazing for the common indoor amenity spaces aims to animate the streetscape and provide passive surveillance of the public realm.
With convenient access to public transit, including Route #25 connecting to Fanshawe College and Masonville Place, and proximity to open space areas such as Kilally Meadows and Meander Creek Park, the proposed development seeks to enhance the residential landscape of London’s Highbury Avenue North corridor.
To accommodate the heights of the towers up to 18 storeys, an Official Plan Amendment is required, which proposes adding a ‘specific area policy’ to the site.
Currently, the maximum permitted height for the site is 12 storeys. Furthermore, the proposal outlines zoning amendments to permit the proposed development.
The current zoning for the site is as follows: ‘Neighbourhood Facility Special Provision’ (NF1(1)), ‘Urban Reserve’ (UR1), and ‘Open Space’ (OS1).
The proposed development is currently not permitted under the existing zoning regulations. Therefore, the developer is requesting to rezone the land to ‘Residential R9 Special Provision Bonus’ (R9-7 (_)- B-_).
Portions of the land zoned as Neighbourhood Facility (NF1) and Urban Reserve (UR1) are proposed to be rezoned to the site-specific Residential (R9-7(_)) Zone and Bonus (B-(_)) Zone to accommodate the development.
The Open Space (OS1) Zone is proposed to be retained for the rear portion of the property.
Site-specific special regulations for the Residential zone include a minimum front yard depth of 6.8m, a minimum rear yard depth from Building ‘C’ of 22.2m, a minimum north and south interior side yard depth of 3.5m, a minimum parking supply of 1.0 space per unit whereas 1.25 is required, and a maximum balcony encroachment of 1.5m that is 2.0m from the interior lot lines.
Special regulations for the Bonus zone include a maximum density of 455 units per hectare and a maximum height of 74.0m for the tallest tower at 18 storeys.
These adjustments aim to facilitate the proposed development within the existing zoning framework.
Pending further review, the proposed redevelopment at Highbury Avenue North presents a significant opportunity to meet the city’s growing housing needs while contributing to its urban fabric and community amenities
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