Despite two last-minute voices of opposition, city council gave final approval to official plan and zoning bylaw amendments for the redevelopment of the YMCA's Grove Street West property.
The move paves the way for the construction of nearly 920 rental units, including more than 10 percent or 92 units deemed affordable.
"It's plain and simple. We have a rental supply issue that is at a critical point. This is an opportunity," said Councillor Arif Khan at Monday night's council meeting.
"It's not just the Y the is going to benefit from this application. There are 900 families that are currently without a reasonable housing opportunity."
Area residents Julia Montgomery and former Barrie Mayor Dave Aspden made impassioned pleas against the project.
Traffic congestion and parking were main concerns.
"In my mind the overflow parking that would result would be problematic," said Montgomery. "I do agree that we need more rental units in the city but to approve such a large scale development in such a unique area that is mostly residential homes... The height of it is going to be an eyesore."
Aspden suggested neighbours had been misled about the project and their concerns ignored.
He also questioned why only 10 percent would be affordable and whether the project would indeed be rentals or condos.
"Being a community in need of affordable housing, why is it only 10 percent for affordable housing and not 25 percent or 50 percent?” Or it is that the main goal here is to reap the biggest financial return."
Aspden also raised concerns about Bayfield and Grove which he said is already a 'bad intersection.'
"Barrie Fire has responded 7 times since Jan. 1 and that's just not for clean up," he said.
Councillors have also raised concerns about the parking ratio for the development which would be one space per unit insead of 1.5 spaces.
Mayor Jeff Lehman said he shared residents' concerns about parking but would support the project because of a 'fall back' condition.
Parking would be evaluated following construction of phase one of the project which would be 193 units of the 918 and could be increased if need be.
"If that proves to be too few, there's still lots of time and lots of room to correct the mistake before the bulk of the development is done," said Lehman.
"If staff get this wrong, if council gets this wrong, if the city gets this wrong in approving too little parking and it has that overflow, it isn't so far along that it could not be fixed."
Council's approval sets the stage for the YMCA of Simcoe-Muskoka to build its new facility likely on the former Barrie Central Collegiate site at Dunlop and Bradford Streets.
The Y says it will use the development and sale of its 22 Grove Street property to assist in funding the new YMCA.
