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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, M ar ch 11 ,2 02 1 | 4 Care that's extra careful V for Vistamere We're very proud of our family of Vistamere staffers during these difficult times. They go above and beyond each and every day to help ensure the safety of our residents. So our residents just want to say, "Thank You." Vistamere Retirement Residence is located in a quiet, residential neighbourhood in west Oakville. You can still come for a virtual tour. Just go to vistamere.ca TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR TODAY vistamere.ca 380 Sherin Drive Oakville, Ontario L6L 4J3 905.847.1413 vistamere.ca Like us onFollow us on A controversial devel- opment proposal to build 35 three-storey dwellings in the space currently oc- cupied by Cudmore's Gar- den Centre in Bronte is moving forward. Who wants to build what and where? The developer, Vogue Wycliffe (Oakville) Ltd., is calling for zoning changes to permit the building of eight three-storey semi- detached dwelling units and 27 three-storey town- house units at 3171 Lake- shore Rd., W. There would also be 86 res- idential parking spaces and 14 visitor parking spaces. Q: Why is that contro- versial? A: The property is only one hectare in size and is surrounded by existing residences. The area is zoned low density, which permits a density of up to 29 units per site hectare. The developer is pro- posing a density of 39.77 units per site hectare. Q: What are the con- cerns? A: Area residents have raised concerns about in- tensification, increased traffic, a lack of adequate parking at the site, which they fear will result in overflow on local roads, density issues, loss of trees, a lack of compatibil- ity with the surrounding neighbourhood and the de- veloper's proposal not be- ing in compliance with the Livable Oakville Plan and zoning bylaws. "The Bronte Village Residents' Association (BVRA) understands the need for increased hous- ing stock and supports the need for planned and bal- anced growth -- where ap- propriate, according to the Livable Oakville Plan," said Harry Shea, vice- president of the BVRA. "This development ap- plication at 35 units makes this application medium density in a low-density stable neighbourhood, which is clearly inappro- priate for the site and not supported by the Livable Oakville Plan. Additional- ly, this sets a dangerous precedent, where the me- dium density range of 30- 50 units could lead to fu- ture applications looking for higher unit count and destabilizing stable resi- dential neighbourhoods." Q: What does Vogue Wycliffe (Oakville) Ltd. Have to say about their proposal? A: In a Planning Justifi- cation Report made by Weston Consulting, who was retained by Vogue Wycliffe (Oakville) Ltd., the proposal is described as representing an appro- priate infill redevelop- ment. They said that to allow for a seamless transition between the existing neighbourhood and the proposed development, semi-detached units are proposed on the north end of the site and act as a nat- ural extension of the exist- ing neighbourhood. The consultant argued that the transportation system should adequately accommodate anticipated traffic volumes. They also said the local community played a criti- cal role in shaping the pro- posed development, as their comments and feed- back were instrumental in the creation of the concept plan. Q: You said this devel- opment is moving for- ward. What does that mean? A: The developer ap- pealed the development application to the LPAT (Local Planning Appeal Tribunal) on April 9, 2020, citing no decision from the Town of Oakville within the prescribed timeline. However, the town has since announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with the devel- oper. Council has approved this proposed settlement, but it still must be ap- proved by LPAT. That hearing is set to start April 19. Q: What did the devel- oper change to make this agreement happen? A: The development will now include direct ac- cess to Lakeshore Road over an easement strad- dling the property line and the town's linear park. While town staff say it is not possible to close all ac- cess to Victoria Street due to fire route requirements, access to Lakeshore Road is expected to greatly reduce the extent of new traffic on Victoria Street, which had been a concern raised by the public. Also, the height of the semi-detached buildings along the northern edge (adjacent to Ward Court) will be limited to 10.5 me- tres, in accordance with the existing zoning bylaw standards. In addition, trees will be preserved where possi- ble and replaced where it is not. Q: How do area resi- dents feel about this deal? A: The Bronte Village Residents' Association has called on the town to stop this deal and uphold the Livable Oakville Plan and zoning bylaws. They also created a pe- tition to that end. For more information, visit www.brontevillage- residents.com. CONTROVERSIAL DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL MOVING FORWARD DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com NEWS A proposal to build 35 three-storey dwellings in the space currently occupied by Cudmore's Garden Centre in the Bronte Village area has drawn opposition from local residents. Graham Paine/Metroland