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Yonge St. projects take it on the chin during public meeting

Maclaren Avenue residents asks: 'How would you feel being a neighbour to have this monumental mass, a seven-storey building, go up beside you?'

Neighbours had their say and then some about a two-building condo project being planned along Yonge Street in Barrie's south end.

At a 90-minute public meeting Wednesday evening, city councillors heard mostly opposition to rezonings needed for seven-storey buildings of 196 and 177 condo units respectively, with 226 and 205 parking spaces, and ground-floor commercial, at the northeast and southeast corners of Yonge Street and Maclaren Avenue.

“How would you feel being a neighbour to have this monumental mass, a seven-storey building, go up beside you?” asked Blair Mills, who lives on Maclaren. “Why don’t we see something that fits within the current zoning, that fits into the neighbourhood.”

Neighbours also raised concerns about parking, traffic, flooding, shadowing, and a loss of privacy.

Ovidiu Grigorascu and his family moved to Bates Court last October.

“I am appalled to think about the egregious violations of privacy that a seven-storey building will bring to our living experience,” he said. “(It) will create a precedent that will give way to other projects that will further ruin the living experience of existing residents.

“Having a seven-storey building right beside single-family homes and townhouses creates an unnerving psychological effect on residents," Grigorascu added. 

Grigorascu suggested a four-storey building height there instead to reduce the discrepancy between seven storeys and single-family homes.

Greg Stephenson, who lives on Tomlin Court, also suggested four storeys were be better suited to the area.

“This is about proper intensification,” he said. “I don’t think anyone is suggesting we don’t intensify these properties, it’s about doing the right thing and making sure it’s a win-win and done properly. This is way, way too high, much too large a property.”

Only Stephen Donkers, who lives on the other side of town in northwest Barrie, spoke in favour of the project. He said Barrie is not a town of 25,000 to 30,000 people anymore, but a city of 150,000 heading for a population of 200,000.

“My concern is if we don’t start preparing for that population … if we don’t embrace the change that is coming, we’re going to be so far behind that we’re going to be playing catch-up for 40 to 50 years,” he said. “A development like this in an area that’s been identified for intensification should be embraced. We should recognize that we need to start changing.

“The city has to start being reshaped. I understand some people are concerned about the size of the development, I get that, but ultimately at the end of the day we have to embrace change,” Donkers added.

“Instead of listening to the constant ‘no, don’t build it here’, well where do you want to build it? This whole city has to embrace change in every single area,” he said.

But most of the neighbours were not embracing this change.

“On behalf of our neighbourhood, we collectively oppose the proposed rezoning for the lands at 447-455 Yonge St.,” said Ed Hansen of Tomlin Court. “However, collectively we do support intensification, but also believe that whatever is approved should not have an impact, or (have) minimal impact, on existing residential areas.

“Our fear is that whatever is approved would potentially set a precedent for future development between Maclaren and Macmillan (Crescent) for seven- (or) eight-storey highrise buildings, which along that stretch of land would have a major impact to our community," he added. 

Leslie Elliott, who also lives on Tomlin Court, said she has health and safety concerns because of the parking location. 

“That backs on to where our back yard is, where our children and our grandchildren and our pets play,” she said. “Accidents do happen. What stops cars, what stops all the lights, the noise the exhaust fumes from seeping into our residence?”

Jason Wolanski said he’s lived at 447 Yonge St. since 1999 and pays less than $1,000 a month in rent.

“When people come in and buy up low-income housing, you’re getting rid of some of the last pockets of affordable housing,” he said. “There should be some sort of regulations when people come in and buy low-income housing.”

Tyler Kawall of Innovative Planning Solutions, speaking for Barrie Yonge Developments GP, said that could be addressed by the proposed project.

“The applicants are open currently to making 10 per cent of the units considered affordable as defined by the city’s definition of affordable housing,” he said.

Barrie Yonge Developments GP has made rezoning applications for both projects.

Located at 427, 429, 431, 435 and 437 Yonge St., these 1.65 acres situated on an intensification corridor could be rezoned from residential single-detached dwelling, first-density to mixed-use corridor with special provisions. Its ground-floor commercial space is to be almost 7,718 square feet. The land is occupied by five single-detached homes that are proposed for demolition by the developer.

Meanwhile, the land at 447, 449, 451, 453, 455 Yonge St. is located on an intensification corridor as well. These 1.36 acres could also be rezoned from residential single-detached dwelling, first-density to mixed-use corridor with special provisions. It could have 6,157 sq. ft. of ground-floor commercial space. This property is also occupied by five single-detached homes proposed for demolition by the developer.

A public meeting is one of the first stages of Barrie’s planning process.

These rezoning applications will now be the subject of a report, and a recommendation, by city planning staff before summer that will be considered by Barrie councillors and then city council.


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Bob Bruton

About the Author: Bob Bruton

Bob Bruton is a full-time BarrieToday reporter who covers politics and city hall.
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