An earful.
That’s what Barrie councillors heard from area residents about rezoning four Duckworth Street properties to develop 28 townhouses at Tuesday night's public meeting.
John Batstone has lived on nearby Mountbatten Road for 40 years and opposes the change, like the vast majority of 16 people who spoke.
“It’s totally inappropriate, far too large and does not fit,” he said of the proposed development. “The developer is trying to jam as many buildings in as small an area as possible.
Cygnus Developments wants to rezone 0.76 acres at 189, 191, 195 and 197 Duckworth St., containing four single-family homes, from residential to mixed use with special provisions for two back-to-back townhouse blocks, each with 14 units at the intersection of Duckworth Street and Mountbatten Road in the city's east end.
The land is surrounded by single detached residential uses to the north, south, east and west. But this property is also currently located along the Duckworth Street primary intensification corridor.
Sitting as planning committee last night, councillors heard a variety of reasons why the rezoning should not go ahead.
“This unique and special neighbourhood needs to be protected and should be celebrated,” said Karen Melnick, who rents in the east end, near Barrie’s downtown. “This housing crisis has the potential for knee-jerk reactions.
“It may be tempting to let builders and developers slam down as many units as possible, to house as many bodies as possible, as fast as possible," she added. "The model of whack ‘em and stack ‘em is not appropriate here and may lead to decline in the character of this neighbourhood.”
Robert Simmonds, who lives on Napier Street, is concerned about privacy, that the townhouses would be 3.5 storeys in height.
“The proposed buildings would be approximately three times the height of existing homes,” he said.
Susan Mckendry has lived for 30 years in Barrie’s east end and said this development would hurt the neighbourhood’s character.
“The proposal will rob the residents of the very thing that drew them here in the first place,” she said.
“It does not fit in this quiet, stable neighbourhood,” said Jeff Garner. “This development would change the character and charm of the neighbourhood.”
Scott Lauren, who lives on Napier Street, pointed out that Codrington Public School is only 280 metres from the proposed development.
“I worry desperately about the impact this development could have on the lives of kids, running out between cars,” he said. “It terrifies me.”
Peter Koetsier questioned who would live in the townhouses, if built.
“It’s not made for seniors, it’s not made for families,” he said. “So who do you have left? Students. This needs to be stopped and the developer needs to come back (with another plan).”
Only Evan Boyce, 28, who grew up in Barrie in the mid-2000s, spoke in favour of the townhouse development because there is a housing crisis.
“The housing stock has not kept pace with the (population) growth,” he said. “We have to find a wider diversity of housing options.
“Not now, not here, is what got us into this housing crisis,” added Boyce, who lives and rents in Toronto.
The townhouses in this development are proposed at 3.5 storeys, with 64 parking spaces — 56 in an underground parking garage, including 16 in tandem, with eight spaces above-ground.
James Hunter of Innovative Planning Solutions, speaking on behalf of Cygnus, said the townhouses would be common element condos and privately owned.
The site-specific provisions proposed by Cygnus for the property would permit a reduction in the minimum required exterior side-yard setbacks, rear-yard setbacks, ground-level floor height and buffer areas from adjacent residential uses, permit an increase in the maximum required side-yard setback and permit the front-yard setback to provide a combination of soft landscaping and sidewalks, and permit tandem parking.
Tuesday night’s public meeting on this rezoning application is one of the first stages in Barrie's planning process. The application now goes to planning staff for a report, expected at year’s end or early 2023, to Barrie councillors, who will make a decision on the rezoning.
A change.org petition ‘Oppose the rezoning of 189-197 Duckworth Street to mixed-use corridor’ had 588 signatures as of late Tuesday night.
