KENILWORTH – A two-storey apartment building coming to Mount Forest is set to include 33 apartments.
That’s one more than the initial amount approved by council in 2021.
The overall size of the building isn’t changing, as adjustments to its interior layout will allow for the extra unit.
A party room in the building will be significantly smaller than originally planned, making space for the 33rd unit.
To compensate for the smaller party room, the developer intends to add a patio area to the site for shared amenities. Township staff suggested the developer also consider adding a play area, gazebo or pergola.
Additional parking will also be provided for the extra unit, increasing the number of spots from 48 to 50.
The property, located at 773 Princess St., is about 0.6 hectares or 1.6 acres, and the building is currently under construction.
A minor variance to approve the 33rd unit passed unanimously during a public committee of adjustment meeting on May 5, though the vote included just Mayor Andy Lennox and councillors Lisa Hern and Steve McCabe.
Councillors Sherry Burke and Penny Renken both declared pecuniary conflicts of interest so were not present for the discussion or vote.
Burke said she has an indirect pecuniary interest as her employer has done work on the site.
Renken said she is a neighbour to the property and was also one of the people who expressed opposition to the project before she joined council.
Notices of the public meeting were mailed to applicable agencies and owners within 60 metres of the site, and posted on the property on April 17.
One member of the public sent an email on April 30 expressing opposition, stating the variance undermines the zoning integrity and impacts the neighbourhood’s character and features.
He also expressed concerns about parking, fairness and precedent, and the affordability of the units.
Township staff expressed “no concerns with the requested relief” and are satisfied the variance is minor.
Gillian Smith, a senior planner at HMBC planning, spoke on behalf of the developer during the meeting.
Smith noted “the (county’s) official plan permits a max density of 75 units per hectare on the lands and the proposal would see a density of around 51 units per hectare, so this is well below the max density permitted of the site.”
She said reducing the size of the party room to make space for an additional unit is “really just a better use of the interior space.”
The party room, originally set to be 78 square metres, will now be 35 square metres.
The size of the new unit will be within the range of the other unit sizes in the building – between 53 and 93 square metres.
Councillor Lisa Hern asked if the township’s suggested improvements to the outdoor space were requirements.
“Not necessarily,” said senior township planner Zachary Prince. “The zoning bylaw has some examples of what an amenities space will be – so the applicant has shown a patio that meets the requirements of the zoning bylaw.”
Hern said considering the smaller party room, she thinks it would be “really valuable” to go beyond the patio and include a play structure, gazebo or pergola.
“This is a really good thing for families to have a place to utilize and congregate so that would be something that I would be in support of should this go forward – something a little more elaborate outside for families and retirees too.”
Mayor Andy Lennox said “adding more units but decreasing common amenity space seems a bit paradoxical to me because we’re going to have more people and less space.
“I understand the desire to have an additional unit – that’s additional revenue – but it’s going to impact potentially the quality of life for the people that are there,” Lennox said.
“I agree with you, Mayor Lennox,” Hern said.
Lennox asked if the additional parking spaces would impact the plan for buffering around the property.
“When this application came before us (in 2021) we expressed a great deal of concern around things like buffering … we felt that was critical to the project,” he said.
Smith said the new parking spaces would not impact buffering.
Lennox asked Prince to elaborate on the conditions that led staff to classify the proposed change as minor.
Prince said as the building is already under construction and there are no exterior changes, just one additional unit, “staff are satisfied that it meets the requirements for a minor variance.”
