Proposed luxury student tower gets rough ride at committee
Andrew Lupton | CBC News | Posted: March 10, 2020 9:00 AM | Last Updated: March 25, 2020
One councillor says proposal doesn't come close to existing zoning rules
A proposal to build a luxury student apartment tower in a residential neighourhood off Richmond Row got a rough ride from the city's planning committee Monday, with one councillor calling the application a possible attempt to "let's throw it against the wall and see if it sticks."
That comment in response to the proposal by York Developments came from Coun. Stephen Turner. And while other councillors were less blunt, it's clear some committee members want more work done to integrate the tower with its surrounding neighbourhood and come more in line with existing limits on height and density.
"It's all about that zoning and how it's going to fit in the neighbourhood," said Coun. Anna Hopkins.
The proposal calls for an apartment tower — 28 storeys at its highest point — with 274 student-geared apartments at the corner of St. George and Ann Streets. The sleek glass and steel building has a stepped design, with the 28-story section at the east end of the property followed by a segments of 26 storeys with a 12-storey portion running along St. George Street.
The proposal would mean the removal of five existing buildings, including a heritage-listed brick building that was once the site of Old Kent, a brewery that operated from 1859 until 1917. The building is currently in use as an auto body shop.
The proposed student building would be next to three residential buildings on the block, though at heights of 18-. 17- and 12-storeys, the neighbouring buildings are much lower than what York is planning.
The proposal wasn't up for approval at Monday's meeting. Instead, staff presented it to give the committee and members of the public a chance to weigh in.
York played a video that showed renderings of a modern building with rooftop terraces and amenities for residents, including a gym, theatre and yoga studio.
York Developments CEO Ali Soufan told the planning committee it's the type building many university and college students are looking for.
"This is ground-zero for students from abroad, from out of town and we find there is significant demand for this type of housing in this two-block corridor," he said.
But councillors, and a few members of the public who spoke against the plan, had concerns about the possible loss of the heritage listed property, increased traffic in the neighbourhood and no clear pedestrian access to the Richmond Street transit corridor.
To go ahead, the building would require an amendment to the city's official plan, along with zoning amendments to exceed current density and height restrictions. As planned, the building would also extend right to the lot line and include no landscaped space.
Turner called it a "marked departure from the zoning environment that exists on this property" and suggested it's the type of proposal that might be better suited to another area of the city.
"If we're creating an environment where there's such a departure from zoning, then I'm not really sure what the zoning framework and the official plan mean," he said.
AnnaMaria Valastro, a longtime resident of the North Talbot area, said past city councils have been guilty of "failing to protect" the neighbourhood, which, she added, is suffering from an influx of student-geared rental housing.
"Council can no longer avoid talking about the negative impact concentrated student housing has had on neighbourhoods and on students themselves," she said. "This proposal is asking council to flip many of the goals and visions that were expressed by thousands of residents during the development of the London plan."
But Coun. Maureen Cassidy pointed out to the gallery that councillors can't make planning decisions about buildings based on who is going to live in them.
"We decide on land use here," said Cassidy. "By provincial legislation we cannot say 'No students can live in this area,'" she said.
If the proposal is to proceed, it will have to come before another public participation meeting.