Controversial residential tower extended lifeline by councillors

An application to build a 22-storey high rise behind Richmond Row may get one more chance.

On Monday, the Planning and Environment Committee (PEC) recommended the rezoning application be referred back to civic administration for further consultation with York Developments.

In the report to PEC, city planners recommended council refuse the rezoning application that would permit a 22-storey student-oriented residential building at the southeast corner of Ann and St. George streets.

Among the reasons for the recommendation:

• • doesn’t conform with The London Plan
• • doesn’t conform with the Official Plan (1989)
• • isn’t consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement
• • isn’t compatible with the surrounding neighbourhood
• • over-intensification based on density, building massing, lot coverage, open space
• • doesn’t conserve existing cultural heritage of the Kent Brewery building

Coun. Shawn Lewis warned colleagues that granting heritage designation to the Victorian-era Kent Brewery and associated brewer’s house might jeopardize future development of the property.

“Our neighbourhoods can’t become trapped like flies in amber. We need to let them evolve and grow,” said Lewis.

“How much are we restricted by designating this? My understanding is we are not,” said Deputy Mayor Josh Morgan after asking several questions of city planners.

“We should take a pause when we see recommendations for refusal,” warned Coun. Stephen Turner. “Understand what’s behind that (recommendation) is months, and months, and months of work.”

However, Coun.John Fyfe-Millar said the city’s core requires more high-density residential buildings, “We need it, we need rental space, this building is designed for that.”

After an extensive debate, PEC recommended granting heritage designation to the brewery buildings and referring the application back to staff for more discussions with York Developments to address the six reasons for refusal, and to negotiate 13 affordable units in the building at 80 percent market rent for 50 years.

Neighbour Anna Maria Valastro warned that the committee may be opening itself up to an appeal.

“I’m disappointed they didn’t recognize some of the characteristics of the site, that it just doesn’t physically support intensification,” Valastro told CTV News.

Lewis said council’s goals to address the housing crisis and climate change include intensification in care neighborhoods.

“We want to see housing intensification here, (it’s) a couple hundred feet from Richmond Row. It makes sense. There are still, however, some details that need to be sorted out,” he said.