Hyde Park drive-thru proposal going back to the drawing board

York Developments property at 1407-1427 Hyde Park Road in London, Ont., as seen on September 12, 2022. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)

York Developments is reconsidering the design of a mixed-use commercial and residential development at the southeast corner of Hyde Park and South Carriage roads in London, Ont.

At Monday’s meeting of the Planning and Environment Committee, a consultant for the developer explained why the rezoning application will be revised.

“The anticipated tenants of this development have changed, which allows greater opportunity for alternatives,” explained Scott Allen of MHBC Planning.

Allen added that a recent decision by city council greatly reduces the amount of parking required on the site, opening the door to a redesigned development that would address concerns raised by city staff.

“We believe this review can be done expeditiously to allow the [revised] application to be brought back to the committee in the near future,” he added.

The committee unanimously supported the referral.

York Developments had applied to rezone 1407-1427 Hyde Park Road to permit 72 townhouses, a shopping plaza and a McDonald’s restaurant with drive-thru.

In their report, city staff recommend that the application be refused because it does not satisfy several policies:

• Not consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement because it will result in an underutilization of the site and will create safety concerns for pedestrians and residents on the subject site
• Layout and functioning of future development, how the residential and commercial uses are mixed on site and lack of amenity space for the residential uses are major concerns
• Not in conformity with the Main Street policies in the London Plan with regard to intensity and form
• It creates a form of development not consistent with the Main Street Commercial Corridor policies
• It creates a form of development not consistent with the Hyde Park Business District policies.

Some neighbours had also expressed concern that the drive-thru would lead to more traffic, litter and disturbance across the road from the new Afzaal Family Memorial.

In June, the Our London Family memorial was unveiled on the one year anniversary of the Afzaal family being struck and killed by a driver in what police say was a hate-motivated attack.