A little balance came to arguments for and against redevelopment plans on Barrie’s old fairgrounds last night.
But that balance still tilts toward a thumbs down.
The public meeting to discuss plans to build 2,828 residential units in nine towers of 12 to 35 storeys — on 55.3 acres at 175 and 199 Essa Rd., and 50 Wood St. — attracted a crowd to the council chambers, many of them area residents.
“I want (city) council to demand better for this property,” said Steven Dearlove, a retired architect. “We need to be city-building, not suburb-building. To me, it just falls flat. It has no vibrancy. It can be done, but done differently.”
The project needs more retail space, he said, and better mitigation of the noise nearby Highway 400 generates.
Greenworld Construction/Digram Developments says the project breaks down to 421 townhouse units in freehold and condominium tenure and 2,407 condominium units within five highrise residential and four mixed-use buildings, with 31,775 square feet of commercial space.
Local businessman Craig Busch said he sees its merits.
“We’ve got to have density in order to have centres of community,” he said. “We see an opportunity for an urban village. People don’t want to live in a box, they want to live in a community.”
Barrie needs communities where people can walk to buy their goods and go to work, Busch said.
But Arnie Ivsins, who lives on nearby Alfred Street, gathered 70 names on a petition asking Barrie councillors to stop the project.
The petition says those who signed don’t want to see nine towers or any highrises there, that it would impact the neighbourhood, existing infrastructure is insufficient and would be like having a town of 5,000 to 7,000 people there.
“We are not anti-development for this area, we are for smart development,” he said at Wednesday night’s public meeting. “We can all agree — sprawl needs to stop. It’d make more sense to build towers near the Barrie South GO Station, or down Holly way where there is the room.
“We ask you to please give this fairgrounds proposal serious consideration, as it will greatly affect a widespread area and residents. Remember, more is not necessarily better. We support housing in this area — it just has to be done with common sense.”
Norman Speake, of the Barrie Curling Cub (BCC) — which has a 99-year lease at the fairgrounds and an option for another 99 years which could run until 2150 — said the club is not opposed to development there. But development plans need to consider the curling club.
“BCC will adversely affected by any development that goes in there,” he said, mentioning the Essa Road entrance/exit, the club’s parking spaces and snow removal.
Speake said BCC and the property’s owners, past and present, have not found common ground.
“We have been unable to come to an agreement,” he said.
James Hunter, of Innovative Planning Solutions and speaking for Greenworld/Digram, said that would be addressed.
“We do intend to work with the curling club and see that its needs are met,” he said.
But other residents were not impressed with Greenworld/Digram’s plans.
“It’s not going to be the same community with those highrises and urban sprawl,” said Campbell Avenue resident Steve Miller, mentioning younger families.
Cathy Colebatch, who lives on Cumberland Street, raised concerns about overflow parking, traffic congestion and affordable housing.
“I don’t think there’s anything being built here that’s affordable for most people,” she said. “As far as height and density, I think it’s overkill.”
M.E. Harvey wrote BarrieToday to add a little perspective to the proposed development of the former fairgrounds property.
Harvey said her grandfather, James Hubbert, was the last individual to own 175 and 199 Essa Rd., and proposed the property be named ‘Hubbert Estates’ to honour one of Innisfil’s pioneering farming families.
She said when he passed away, the property was sold to the Barrie Agricultural Society in the late 1940s.
And she offered an opinion of what’s being planned for the land now.
“I do not favour the mega-project proposed by Greenworld Development,” Harvey said. “We need housing, but not highrises.”
The proposed development is to be located on the south side of Essa Road, extending north to the Barrie Collingwood Railway tracks, east of Highway 400, and is known as the former Barrie fairgrounds and raceway.
A previously proposed development included a variety of residential and commercial uses including townhouses, apartments, a long-term care facility, ground-floor commercial, and an office tower.
A second public meeting — the first took place Aug. 10, 2020 — was held because ownership of the properties changed from Osmington to Greenworld/Digram, and the latest submission has proposed a revised concept and applications for alternative Official Plan and zoning bylaw amendments.
The OP designates 175 and 199 Essa as general commercial and this application asks that the land be redesignated as residential and open space. The OP designates 50 Wood as Highway 400 industrial and the application also asks for a redesignation to residential and open space.
A rezoning application asks that this Highway 400 industrial and general commercial land be changed to transition centre commercial with special provisions, residential multiple dwelling second density with special provisions, residential multiple dwelling second-density with special provisions and open space.
A staff report will now come to Barrie councillors later this year to consider the OP change and rezoning.
Should council approve the changes, planning staff, through delegated authority, could consider approval of the draft plan of subdivision. Subsequent applications for site-plan control and condominium exemption may be required to facilitate development on the subject land.
