Marianne Meed WardPublic meeting Wed. Sept. 26, 7pm, Seniors Centre, 2285 New St.
Please join us to share your input and get updated information on the Branthaven townhouse proposal for 2072-2102 Ghent Avenue. Branthaven has applied for a rezoning to permit 30 two-storey townhomes and 28 three-storey back-to-back townhomes on eight assembled lots covering 1.19 hectares. The proposal conforms to the Official Plan but requires rezoning to permit townhomes (singles, semis and low-rise apartments are permitted, with a density of 26-50 units per hectare). The applicant has submitted traffic, planning justification, stormwater, vegetation and site layout reports, available online here.
A site plan layout is pictured at the right. The elevation from Ghent, showing the cladding and design of the buildings is below.
Residents have raised several concerns about the project, including stormwater management (stormwater runoff is planned to run into the creek behind the property); additional traffic; tree removal and overall density.
Branthaven was requested to provide updated stormwater management information and this is still being worked on. Once received, city staff will post the information online.
Staff from various agencies visited the development site Sept. 6, including three staff members from Conservation Halton. They will be submitting comments about the project, particularly the stormwater issues and creek. Members of Halton Region’s planning, forestry and ecology staff also attended and are also still working on comments.
Based on discussions with the City Forester and field observations, Branthaven was requested to submit a revised vegetation management plan. The plans have been submitted and circulated to technical agencies. The city can protect city trees from being cut down (trees on the street), but the city does not currently have a tree protection bylaw for trees on private property.
However, planning staff do request that trees not be demolished without a vegetation plan and development approval. I have personally sought and received a commitment from the developer that no tree cutting will take place on the site while the application is being processed.
Typically, the city requests requests that border vegetation be preserved for privacy and greenery, and that replacement trees be planted. Once trees are deemed to be protected via the vegetation plan, the site development and construction process permits the city to require tree hoarding and some protection from root damage due to excavation. That is part of the inspection process by the city’s site plan technicians.
Residents have also asked about the current homes on the site. The city has not received any demolition permit requests.
My Take: I’m supportive of redevelopment that respects the character of our neighbourhoods and there are townhouses, semis, single family homes and low-rise apartments along the street. That said, I’m not a fan of back-to-back townhouses and this project is quite dense. Residents have raised concerns regarding stormwater issues, tree retention, greenspace, and traffic, and I’ll be carefully reviewing the data from technical agencies when that is available.
