Rezoning to allow for townhouse development defeated by city council

The rezoning of 476 Stadacona St. E. to allow for a five-townhouse development was defeated by city council last night. 

The zoning bylaw amendment was defeated in the Committee of the Whole by a vote of four to three and never made it to a third reading. 

The zoning bylaw amendment would have allowed 476 Stadacona St. E. to be rezoned from R1 - Large Lot Density Residential District to R2 - Medium Density Residential. 

The application put forward by the developers expressed interest in building five two-storey townhouses on the site. The property had been vacant since a demolition permit was approved in 2021 for a previous one-unit house. 

Coun. Crystal Froese felt, upon further review, that the location on Stadacona Street East wasn’t appropriate for such a large development. 

“I'm a big supporter of development but I think we also have to consider the neighbourhood as well. There are other areas in our city that I think this development would be wonderful in,” she said. 

Froese added that it opens up a larger discussion with the city looking to update its Official Community Plan. 

“I think this has opened up a conversation for us to maybe look at what type of design characters we might want to look at that would help developers when they come into our city for continuity. Our downtown is a perfect example of trying to keep historic continuity,” Froese said. 

At the July 10 city council meeting, motions were passed to have city administration prepare the bylaw amendment. 

The bylaw was supposed to go to three readings at the Aug. 14 city council meeting. However, residents showed up to the council meeting to voice their concerns. Mainly, the concerns were about parking, especially with close proximity to Ecole St. Margaret School. 

Jamie Wallace spoke in opposition to the rezoning of 476 Stadacona St. E. to allow for a townhouse development during Monday night's city council meeting.

Jamie Wallace owns property just across the street from the vacant lot. He spoke to city council last night about the issues the development would cause. 

He said some councillors have indicated that if the development fits on the property the rezoning should move ahead. He felt that wasn’t a sufficient reason to approve the rezoning. 

“You need to consider the needs of us who either own properties there or have to be in that area,” Wallace said. 

He also voiced concerns about parking, safety considering the close proximity to a school, property values and whether the current waterworks infrastructure could handle the extra load. 

“There is no need to force a giant project into this small community, especially where it would detract from the everyday function of that community,” he said. 

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