BRUCEDALE – An application has been received for the development of a three-storey apartment building at 197 Main Street South in Rockwood, near the Eramosa River.
The proposal from numbered company 1735003 Ontario Inc. is for a building with 26 apartments (30 bedrooms), to be constructed behind existing buildings on Main Street, and parking areas with 69 spaces.
The total land area is 2.52 acres (a consolidation of three properties: 193, 197 and 209 Main St. S.) and the building would have a floor area of 29,570 square feet.
Guelph-Eramosa council deemed the application complete, since it includes the required studies and planning documents. It will now go to agencies such as the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) for comments, and be the subject of a public meeting expected in late September.
Township planning consultant Dan Currie said a zoning change is needed because a portion of the parking lot lands are within a floodplain area currently zoned as Environmental Protection. These would become Village Commercial.
There is also a request that residential units be allowed on the ground floor of the new building, where commercial uses would normally be required.
The existing 2.5-storey apartment building at 197 Main St. S. and an existing shop to the rear of 203 Main St. S. will remain, and are part of the application. An existing shop to the rear of 191 Main St. S. is planned to be demolished to make room for the development.
There will be two driveways, one primary (within 209 Main St. S.) and an emergency driveway at 197.
Within the 69 parking spaces are 10 for visitors and three are “accessible”.
