Fights over infills, like this one in Byron, a growing theme at city hall

When Doug Quigg and Colleen Wilton bought their house on Boler Road in 2002, a huge selling point was the backyard oasis on the property's deep lot under a canopy of mature trees. 

"We enjoy our backyard every day when it's nice weather," said Wilton, an avid gardener whose landscaping plan is tailored to attract birds and butterflies.

Their two-storey house is located on the west side of Boler Road, just north of Byron Baseline Road.

Between their house and Byron Baseline are three small homes. Each of those lots has been bought by a developer who has submitted a plan to remove the three houses and build a six-storey building with 62 apartments and 63 parking spaces. 

The building will leave Quigg and Wilton's house in shadow most of the day. It will also create an entry lane for the building's parking lot right beside their driveway. Some of the building's windows and balconies will look down into their backyard. 

"I feel it's going to be an intrusion on our privacy," said Wilton. "This is something that has taken a toll on us; it's very stressful." 

Quigg, Walton's husband, said what's being proposed is out-of-scale with his house and the other single-family homes that surround it.

"I just don't know why they can't do something that would suit the neighbourhood," said Quigg. "We have no issue that there's going to be some kind of development, but we were hoping it would be two-storey condos, no more than that." 

Similar-sized buildings have been approved at other locations in Byron, including a property at 1378-1398 Commissioners Rd. W., which some neighbours had similar concerns about. 

Disputes over infill applications, including ones where single-family lots are turned into multi-storey buildings, have become common at city hall.

While neighbours may not want to see such drastic changes in established neighbourhoods, often what's being proposed by developers gets approved because it's in step with provincial policy and legislation intended to spur housing construction.

The proposal for 415-419 Boler Rd. is a high-density residential building at the intersection of two arterial roads and across from a commercial plaza. Since the building was first proposed to council, the developer amended the application to step down the height in a portion of the building's footprint from six storeys to four. That change came in response to concerns residents raised at a public meeting held last year.

Although council votes on planning applications, they have to follow the guidance of Ontario's provincial policy statement on land use passed by the Ford government in 2024. The 60-page document directs planning authorities to "support general intensification and redevelopment to support the achievement of complete communities." 

Municipalities also have to establish minimum targets for intensification. London's target is a goal of 47,000 new housing units by 2031.

Council has to strike a balance

As the chair of London's planning committee, Coun. Steve Lehman often hears neighbours' concerns about infill buildings. 

"I see this all the time," said Lehman. "It's one of the more difficult jobs I have at city hall. We're balancing the need for housing at a macro level but when you drill down to the micro level, there's often opposition." 

Lehman said council decisions that aren't in line with provincial policy can easily get overturned at the Ontario Land Tribunal, which adjudicates land-use matters. 

"We try to mitigate the local needs but in this age of serious housing concerns, we're seeing more infill," he said. "We shouldn't rubber stamp applications but there's also this need for housing. The housing has to go somewhere." 

Young Byronite wants more buildings like this

Anthony Lima is a 22-year-old raised in Byron who recently posted in support of the building on a Byron Facebook group. A student who studies geography and land-use planning at Western, Lima said it's the kind of building London needs because the low-density, single-family homes that dominate the area are no longer affordable for everyone. 

"I want to live where my family is but it's not possible when all the homes are single-family dwellings that cost a million dollars," he said. "I'm a young professional, and if I can't find housing where I want to live, then I'm going to just move somewhere else."

The application will come to the city's planning committee on March 18.