An east London neighbourhood is alarmed a 76-unit townhouse may rise on the site of the former Huron Heights elementary school.
Residents are worried the development will see a lot more traffic in what is now a quiet community, and some also fear the units will be rented and become the site of raucous parties for nearby Fanshawe College students, as has happened on Fleming Drive.
“We seem to continually fight to keep our neighbourhood free of poorly kept properties (and) absentee landlords, students with disregard for cleanliness, noise considerations and sometimes outright rudeness,” read a letter from Mike Rol, on Irving Place, which is on the agenda at Monday’s planning and environment committee.
“The layout of our streets already lend to excessive speeds through the neighbourhood, with drivers feeling like it’s a racetrack . . . the proposed addition of so many houses are sure to add to the issue.”
Ward Coun, Mo Salih held a public meeting on the issue, and 160 residents attended, most opposing the development.
“The overwhelming sentiment is that people are not in support of it. There are serious concerns,” said Salih.
“I will take direction from residents — that is what I do. No one knows Huron Heights area better than the residents. I believe that.”
The site is zoned for a school and has to be re-zoned to allow for the townhouse complex to be built.
The 3.4-hectare site at 1245 Michael St. has single, detached homes nearby, as well as the Stronach community centre and a park. The land was offered to the city, which did not want it and it was sold to a developer last year.
It is located south of Huron Street east of Highbury Avenue, and west of Sandford Street,
Coun. Tanya Park, who chairs council’s planning committee, called the dispute “intriguing,” adding the development appears to be in line with the city’s official plan.
“With a development like this, the city can only claw back five per cent of the land and the city has done that,” said Park.
“It is near the campus and that is a concern, but the city can’t dictate who lives where.”
Wastell Builders is proposing freehold townhouse units, about two storeys in height, at prices that would range from $249,000 to $279,000 per unit.
The city staff report on the matter states the townhouses would be in line with how the city wants to build its neighbourhoods.
THE CONCERNS
Concerns raised at a public meeting held at Stronach Arena in October on the development:
- Safety concerns, no sidewalks
- Students speeding on streets in the morning
- Construction
- Weight of trucks going down Michael Street
- Students park on the street
- Increase in volume of traffic
- Allowing halfway houses in the zoning