That, on the recommendation of the Director, Planning & Development, the following actions be taken with respect to the application of Royal Premier Homes relating to the property located at 517, 521 and 525 Fanshawe Park Road East:
a) the proposed by-law attached hereto as Appendix “A" BE INTRODUCED at the Municipal Council meeting on April 12, 2022 to amend the Official Plan for the City of London (1989) to ADD a policy to Section 10.1.3 – “Policies for Specific Areas” to permit a residential apartment building with a maximum building height of 6-storeys (21 metres) and a maximum density of 175 units per hectare, through bonusing, within the Low Density Residential designation to align the 1989 Official Plan policies with the Neighbourhood Place Type policies of The London Plan;
b) the request to amend Zoning By-law No. Z.-1 to change the zoning of the subject property FROM a Residential R2 (R2-4) Zone, TO a Residential R9 Special Provision Bonus (R9-7(_)*B-(_)) Zone, BE REFUSED for the following reasons:
i) The requested base zone (R9-7) does not meet the intent of The London Plan within the Neighbourhoods Place Type, which permits a maximum of four storeys;
ii) The requested base zone (R9-7) does not meet the policies of the 1989 Official Plan Low Density Residential designation, which permits a maximum density of 75 units per hectare;
c) the proposed by-law attached hereto as Appendix "B" BE INTRODUCED at the Municipal Council meeting on April 12, 2021 to amend Zoning By-law No. Z.-1, in conformity with the Official Plan for the City of London as amended in part (a) above, to change the zoning of the subject property FROM a Residential R2 (R2-4) Zone, TO a Residential R8 Special Provision Bonus (R8-4(_)*B-(_)) Zone, to permit an apartment building at a maximum density of 75 units per hectare, with a special provision for a maximum height of four storeys or 14 metres, a reduced minimum front yard depth of 1.0 m, and a reduced minimum exterior side yard depth of 1.0 m;
The Bonus Zone shall be implemented through one or more agreements to facilitate the development of a high-quality residential apartment building, with a maximum height of 6 storeys or 21 metres, and a maximum density of 175 units per hectare (99 units), a minimum rear yard depth of 8.1m, a minimum parking requirement of 118 spaces (1.19 spaces per unit), and a minimum accessible parking requirement of 4 spaces, which substantively implements the Site Plan, Renderings, Elevations and Views, attached as Schedule “1” to the amending by-law and provides for the following:
1) Exceptional Building and Site Design
i) A built form located along the Fanshawe Park Road and Geary Avenue that establishes a built edge with primary building entrance, street-oriented units and active uses along those frontages;
ii) An architectural feature/massing/building articulation that addresses and emphasizes the intersection of Fanshawe Park Road and Geary Avenue;
iii) A step-back and terracing above the 5th storey for the building along Fanshawe Park Road frontage and at the intersection providing a human-scale along the street(s);
iv) Articulated facades including recesses, projections, balconies and terraces to provide depth and variation in the built form to enhance the pedestrian environment;
v) A variety of materials, textures and articulation along building façade(s) to highlight different architectural elements and provide interest and human-scale rhythm along the street frontages;
vi) A significant setback from the property to the east to provide a transition to the existing low-rise buildings;
vii) Common outdoor amenity space at ground level and using rooftop terraces located at the intersection to protect the privacy of adjacent properties;
viii) Locates majority of the parking underground and away from the street;
2) Provision of Affordable Housing
i) A total of four (4) one-bedroom residential units will be provided for affordable housing;
ii) Rents not exceeding 80% of the Average Market Rent (AMR) for the London Census Metropolitan Area as determined by the CMHC at the time of building occupancy;
iii) The duration of affordability set at 50 years from the point of initial occupancy;
iv) The proponent enter into a Tenant Placement Agreement (TPA) with the City of London to align the affordable units with priority populations;
v) These conditions to be secured through an agreement registered on title with associated compliance requirements and remedies.
d) IT BEING NOTED that the following site plan and urban design matters were raised during the application review process:
i) A 5m buffer from the property to all structures (including buildings and below ground construction of the parking garage) to preserve the existing trees along the east and south property lines;
ii) Landscaped islands in the parking area must be a minimum of 3m in width;
iii) The barrier-free path of travel must be identified from the barrier-free parking spaces to the entrance of the building. Curb ramps must be shown on the site plan;
iv) The layby must be dimensioned to ensure it is at least 3.5m x 12.0m as required by the Site Plan Control By-law;
v) Relocate the garbage pickup point to ensure bins are accessible by collection vehicles;
vi) Provide individual or a common walkway that connects the east units to the City sidewalk, to encourage and allow residents and visitor to easily walk to transit and nearby commercial amenities to the east. Landscape buffering can be provided between the amenity spaces and the walkway to delineate public from private realm; and
vii) Ground floor doors along Fanshawe Park Road should be lockable ‘front door’ or French door style, as opposed to sliding patio doors to contribute to the appearance of a front-facing residential streetscape and promote walkability and activation of the street, as well as for security.
e) that the Approval Authority BE ADVISED that in addition to the matters described in clause d), above, that consideration be given to limiting vehicles exiting the site to a right turn only onto Geary Avenue;
It being noted that Municipal Council approves this application for the following reasons:
1. The recommended amendment is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020, which encourages the regeneration of settlement areas and land use patterns within settlement areas that provide for a range of uses and opportunities for intensification and redevelopment. The PPS directs municipalities to permit all forms of housing required to meet the needs of all residents, present and future;
2. The recommended amendment conforms to the in-force policies of The London Plan, including but not limited to the Key Directions, and Neighbourhoods Place Type;
3. The recommended amendment meets the criteria for Specific Area Policies and will align the 1989 Official Plan with The London Plan;
4. The recommended amendment secures units for affordable housing through the bonus zone; and
5. The recommended amendment facilitates the development of a site within the Built-Area Boundary and the Primary Transit Area with an appropriate form of infill development.
it being noted that the Planning and Environment Committee received the following communications with respect to these matters:
• the staff presentation;
• a communication dated March 17, 2022 from A. Ackland, by e-mail;
• a communication dated March 18, 2022 from G. Ackland, by e-mail;
• a communication from D. Thompson and R. Kilgour, by e-mail;
• a communication dated March 21, 2022 from P. Thomas, by e-mail;
• a communication dated March 21, 2022 from B. and J. Arndt, by e-mail;
• a communication dated March 21, 2022 from J. and J. Orchard, by e-mail;
• a communication dated March 19, 2022 from S. Taylor, by e-mail;
• a communication dated March 21, 2022 from S. Chalmers, by e-mail;
• a communication from J. and T. Roszel, by e-mail;
• a communication dated March 15, 2022 from T. Morton, by e-mail; and,
• a communication dated March 22, 2022 from A. Ackland, by e-mail;
And it being pointed out that the following individuals made verbal presentations at the public participation meeting held in conjunction with this matter:
• K. Crowley, Planner, Zelinka Priamo Ltd.;
• M. Peeters, Ron Koudys Landscape Architect;
• T. Morton;
• G. Prentice, 521 Fanshawe Park Road East;
• J. Roszel, 1496 Geary Avenue;
• J. Orchard;
• K. Malone, 1515 Geary Avenue;
• E. Dickson;
• J. Arndt, 1495 Geary Avenue;
• S. Versloot;
• M. Tangredi;
• M. Koncan;
• E. Franke, 47 Hammond Crescent;
• D. Ronson, 1531 Stoneybrook Crescent;
• J. McKee;
• S. Wu, 1536 Geary Avenue;
• G. Ackland, 1532 Geary Avenue;
• A. Surantakos;
• S. Goodbrand;
• V. Brooks, 518 Fanshawe Park Road East; and,
• A. Ackland, 1532 Geary Avenue. (2022-D09)