Can this proposed 6-storey building be scaled back? Some Byron neighbours hope so

A group of Byron residents are asking a developer to scale back a six-storey residential building proposed on a section of Commissioners Road West where larger infill developments are becoming commonplace. 

Tricar Properties Inc. has purchased five narrow lots along the south side of Commissioners between Stephen Street and Reynolds Road. The houses are located on lots between 1378 and 1398 Commissioners Rd. W. have been purchased by Tricar and will be removed if the development is approved.

The company has applied to combine the lots into a 67-unit residential building that will front Commissioners and have a 72-space surface parking lot at the rear of the property. Tricar hasn't yet decided if the units will be condominiums or rentals.

The plan has raised concerns from some neighbours who've circulated a petition asking Tricar to consider keeping the unit to four storeys in height instead of six. Their cited concerns include an increase in noise and traffic, mainly because Byron Northview Public School is right across the street.

Alexandra McAlister lives on Stephen, across from the school where her child attends Kindergarten. She said the building won't fit well with the surrounding residential streets which feature decades-old, single-family homes. 

"I understand that we have a housing crisis in London," she said. "But I don't believe that tearing down family homes with people living in them and building a condo building that people can't afford to live in is the solution." 

Sherry Fletcher, who lives next to McAlister, shares her neighbour's concerns.

"Byron has always been a village, and it has a nice village feel," she said. "Talking to neighbours, they are concerned about losing that." 

McAlister said while they would rather not see a multi-unit development at that location, they're also trying to be realistic by seeking a two-storey reduction.

"We think that four storeys is a reasonable request," said McAlister. 

A tree preservation plan by Tricar filed with the city shows 51 trees will be removed while 15 will be retained. While some of the trees are mature, the report said others slated for removal are in poor condition.

Tricar vice-president Adam Carapella said he understands neighbours might be uneasy about seeing the sharp jump in density proposed for the site. However, he said a lot of thought has gone into the building's design. 

"We're confident that if the project is approved, it's going to fit really well with the neighbourhood," he said. "We think that at the end of the day, the project will be well received in the neighbourhood." 

Carapella said Tricar has taken steps to keep the traffic away from the school, for example, by locating the parking lot entrance on Reynolds Road instead of Stephen Street near the school. He also said the design will keep the building away from existing houses as much as possible. 

Carapella said removing two storeys worth of units isn't possible. 

"You want to get to a certain unit count to make a project viable," he said. "You don't typically see a lot of 40-unit buildings." 

Carapella said they could have sought a taller building, but instead decided to limit it to six storeys.

"It is missing middle housing that everyone talks about that's in high demand, and it fits with the official plan," he said. "This location is one that's identified for up to six storeys, and that's what we're delivering." 

Similar-sized buildings along the same section of Commissioners Road have passed the city's planning committee and have been built in the past few years. 

The project will come before city council's planning committee at its Feb. 19 meeting, which will allow for members of the public to have their say.