Deny the Development Proposal at 19 Beard Place
The Issue
Imagine six stories of apartments staring straight down into your back yard!
This is exactly what our small, quiet, and mostly residential neighbourhood in St Catharines is facing: a proposal for a new 6-story, 44-unit apartment development on one of its plots of land.
In a hearing on November 19th, the developer is applying to the City to forgive 8 separate sections of the zoning bylaw, in order to fit this large building onto a small parcel of land on which it would otherwise be clearly prohibited from occupying. A number of the developer's requested bylaw adjustments are significant. For example, the proposed rear yard is almost 60% less than required in the bylaw. The land in question is near the intersections of Beard Place, Collier St, and Argyle Crescent, north of Westchester Avenue. Please click here to view the neighbourhood. You will find the plot of land in question at the north-east (top right) area of the subdivision.
Our neighbourhood currently consists primarily of small bungalows and 1.5 story homes, and this large building would stand out in stark contrast to the existing infrastructure. A building with this many units would have a significant impact on the current residents, some of whom have owned their homes for over 60 years. The horizon would be dominated by it, and views of the nearby green space will be drastically obscured for many. There will be a total loss of privacy for some residents' back yards, with high windows and balconies looking directly down into them. Traffic will increase significantly in a subdivision that currently has very little. The proposal also includes only the minimum required parking for an apartment building, and any overflow will be problematic, as on-street parking can already be difficult to locate.
Approving these changes would result in a major shift in the personality of a long-standing neighbourhood, which has been chosen as home by many residents specifically because of the lack of this sort of infrastructure. In its understandable efforts to increase population density, the City is considering and approving growing numbers of proposals to waive zoning bylaw requirements for apartment developments. If we fail to speak out against the ones that are unreasonable, it will become increasingly easier for the City to approve them. The sooner we voice our objections to developers overstepping their bounds, the better! Imagine.... you could have 6 stories looming over your backyard next!
This is an inappropriate location to develop with a building of this size. Join us in communicating our objection!
PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE
Further details:
Complete summary of the variances from which the developer is seeking relief:
- A reduction of the minimum lot frontage from 30 metres to 15.25 metres.
- A reduction of the minimum interior side yard from 8.88 metres to 7.4 metres.
- A reduction of the minimum rear yard setback from 17.76 metres to 7.4 metres.
- An increase of the maximum height from 16 metres to 17.9 metres.
- An increase of the maximum density per hectare from 99 units/ha to 118 units/ha.
- A reduction of landscape buffer for parking areas with more than 20 but fewer than 100 spaces abutting a public road along the southern line from 3 metres to 1.9 metres.
- To permit a landscape buffer to include a concrete pad and hydro transformer; and
- To permit a balcony above the grade 1.2 metres or greater to be setback from the interior lot line from 8.88 metres to 7.4 metres.
The date, time, and details of the hearing can be located by clicking here: Notice of Hearing.
Media coverage of similar recent proposals:
St Catharines bylaw 2013-283 can be viewed in its entirety here.
The Issue
Imagine six stories of apartments staring straight down into your back yard!
This is exactly what our small, quiet, and mostly residential neighbourhood in St Catharines is facing: a proposal for a new 6-story, 44-unit apartment development on one of its plots of land.
In a hearing on November 19th, the developer is applying to the City to forgive 8 separate sections of the zoning bylaw, in order to fit this large building onto a small parcel of land on which it would otherwise be clearly prohibited from occupying. A number of the developer's requested bylaw adjustments are significant. For example, the proposed rear yard is almost 60% less than required in the bylaw. The land in question is near the intersections of Beard Place, Collier St, and Argyle Crescent, north of Westchester Avenue. Please click here to view the neighbourhood. You will find the plot of land in question at the north-east (top right) area of the subdivision.
Our neighbourhood currently consists primarily of small bungalows and 1.5 story homes, and this large building would stand out in stark contrast to the existing infrastructure. A building with this many units would have a significant impact on the current residents, some of whom have owned their homes for over 60 years. The horizon would be dominated by it, and views of the nearby green space will be drastically obscured for many. There will be a total loss of privacy for some residents' back yards, with high windows and balconies looking directly down into them. Traffic will increase significantly in a subdivision that currently has very little. The proposal also includes only the minimum required parking for an apartment building, and any overflow will be problematic, as on-street parking can already be difficult to locate.
Approving these changes would result in a major shift in the personality of a long-standing neighbourhood, which has been chosen as home by many residents specifically because of the lack of this sort of infrastructure. In its understandable efforts to increase population density, the City is considering and approving growing numbers of proposals to waive zoning bylaw requirements for apartment developments. If we fail to speak out against the ones that are unreasonable, it will become increasingly easier for the City to approve them. The sooner we voice our objections to developers overstepping their bounds, the better! Imagine.... you could have 6 stories looming over your backyard next!
This is an inappropriate location to develop with a building of this size. Join us in communicating our objection!
PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE
Further details:
Complete summary of the variances from which the developer is seeking relief:
- A reduction of the minimum lot frontage from 30 metres to 15.25 metres.
- A reduction of the minimum interior side yard from 8.88 metres to 7.4 metres.
- A reduction of the minimum rear yard setback from 17.76 metres to 7.4 metres.
- An increase of the maximum height from 16 metres to 17.9 metres.
- An increase of the maximum density per hectare from 99 units/ha to 118 units/ha.
- A reduction of landscape buffer for parking areas with more than 20 but fewer than 100 spaces abutting a public road along the southern line from 3 metres to 1.9 metres.
- To permit a landscape buffer to include a concrete pad and hydro transformer; and
- To permit a balcony above the grade 1.2 metres or greater to be setback from the interior lot line from 8.88 metres to 7.4 metres.
The date, time, and details of the hearing can be located by clicking here: Notice of Hearing.
Media coverage of similar recent proposals:
St Catharines bylaw 2013-283 can be viewed in its entirety here.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on November 10, 2020