Council committee approves controversial densification plan in southwest neighbourhood

A controversial zoning application passed the first hurdle toward becoming a reality, Tuesday evening, bringing it closer to paving the way for a strip of 17 highrise apartment buildings in a neighbourhood consisting almost entirely of single-family homes in the city's southwest.

The application submitted by Southside Construction Ltd., was approved by the City's planning committee in a 5-to-1 vote, despite protest — and the occasional heckle — from a full house of residents that packed the council chamber's visitor gallery.

The change to zoning rules at 6309 Pack Rd., would add capacity for roughly 4,000 new dwellings housing as many as 7,000 people to the stretch of Pack Road between Colonel Talbot and Bostwick roads. The dwellings would be spread across 206 single family houses, 36 street townhouse units, and five high-density apartment blocks, served by six new streets.

If approved, maximum building heights along Pack Road will be as high as 16 and 12 storeys, with medium and low density zones farther south.

The North Talbot Homeowners Association (NTHA) opposed the changes vehemently. Neighbours living in the area near the potential future development site created the group in direct response to the proposal in question, according to John Kononiuk, co-chair of the NTHA.

"We ask [councillors], for 30 to 60 seconds, please take off your political hat and think to yourself, how would you feel if this was your community being impacted in this manner," he said during the public participation portion of the meeting.

Kononiuk and other residents expressed significant concerns over traffic, noise, environmental impacts and more.

"We're not anti-development. We support the London Plan and the SWAP (Southwest Area Secondary Plan). The new proposal for Pack Rd. is a 180 degree change in a direction with an extreme focus on high density development," Kononiuk said.

Existing plans like the London Plan and the SWAP, which lay out requirements for developments throughout the city and in London's southwest respectively, were at the centre of the debate over the proposal. The SWAP in particular has significantly lower density allowances than the 300 units per hectare density planned for the Pack Road property.

While residents and councillors in opposition to the development questioned the disparity, city bureaucrats and councillors in favour of the application said the plans currently in place don't reflect the current needs of the city.

"What we have is outdated plans that we ... are forced to modify," said Mayor Josh Morgan. "We far exceeded where we thought we would be in population projections [when the plans were made] ... these plans are not reflective of the pressure that we face today."

Morgan said the large swaths of single family homes in developments from London's past are being necessarily replaced by developments that have mixed density.

The concerns raised by residents echoed those raised by Coun. Anna Hopkins both before and during Tuesday's committee meeting. Hopkins said the current application, as proposed, leaves too many questions unanswered, including how well the area will be serviced by transit and whether local sewer capacity is up to the challenge.

"I support increased density ... but this development will drastically change the look and how we move in this community. We can still develop in a thoughtful and well balanced mix of housing to meet the needs not only of residents that are living there, but for future residents," she said.

Hopkins, while not on the committee, encouraged its members to address concerns before approving the application.

Councillors in favour of the application said there are provisions in place to ensure future development in the area doesn't overwhelm infrastructure.

"These conditions around things like stormwater management, the capacities on the sewers, the traffic impacts, those all roll out over time," said Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis. "Yes, some of the questions asked today are not answered. They will have to be addressed, though, through the process.

"Before ... building permits can be issued and shovels can go in the ground, those requirements will have to be addressed by the applicant," Lewis said.

Some also noted the extra traffic capacity that could be brought to the area through a future widening of Pack Road to four lanes, and the future extension of Bradley Avenue to Bostwick Road.

The whole of council will make a final decision on the application on July 22.