Banwell apartment complex moving forward with council approval

The final phases of a massive apartment complex along Banwell Road promising hundreds of housing units has been approved by Windsor city council despite opposition from the ward councillor. 

The project, which has faced ongoing criticism from neighbours, is expected to take 10 years to complete and bring 700 housing units to Banwell Road and McHugh Street spread across 11 buildings. 

Neighbours have slammed the development at city council and committee meetings over the last few months while asking for assurances that there will not be any flooding created by the project. 

Joan Ennis told council she remembers moving into the her house near the development in the 1980s and at the time being concerned about "big time potential flooding problems."

"It is obvious to me and my neighbours whose homes back on to Banwell that we do not matter," said Ennis. 

"It is obvious that hundreds of apartment buildings are far more important than we are."

Ennis, who lives in a townhouse on a nearby drive, told council about the chaos there was during flooding six years ago. 

She told council that she would sleep easier at night if city staff could guarantee that the new apartment buildings wouldn't flood out her homes.

She highlighted the influx of apartment buildings in the area and asked council how that part of the city can handle that added population.

"The influx of such a large amount of people in a small area is mind blowing," said Ennis.

Ward 7 Coun. Angelo Marignani asked administration about specific ways the developer of the project may mitigate flooding in the neighbourhood.

"The developer will be required to control their storm water," said Jim Abbs, the city planner attached to the project. 

Interim city engineer Mark Winterton said he was confident that the developer could and would mitigate flooding, but it was not enough for Marignani.  

"I'm still not confident about this recommendation," the councillor said before voting against the motion. 

Concerns about shadow study 

Ward 8 Coun. Gary Kaschak asked administration about concerns from neighbours who said the city messed up a study that showed where shadows from the apartment buildings would fall. 

"The original shadow study had some incorrect information. It was putting shadows in the wrong place," said Abbs.

"The depiction of the shadows did not indicate any specific concerns."

The city also had to redo a traffic study after concerns were raised by neighbours that the initial study was not good enough.