Editor's Note: This story was previously posted on StratfordToday.ca.
A proposed residential development at 3980 Road 111 in Stratford that was before city council Monday night with official plan and zoning bylaw amendment requests has been deferred back to city staff following a number of unanswered questions.
The proposed development would see 68 freehold townhouse lots created by Paradize Properties Development Ltd. on the 2.73 hectares of land, 175 metres of which fronts Perth Road 111. The plan of subdivision indicated that along with the 68 street townhouse lots and one storm water management block, there would be four new local streets created with one central access point off Perth Road 111.
Changes to the official plan would see the land re-designated to medium density residential, while the zoning bylaw amendment would see the lands switched from urban reserve (UR-4) to a residential fourth density R4(1) zone. That designation would permit street townhouse dwellings with a minimum lot area of 180 metres square and a minimum lot frontage of six metres.
Coun. Cody Sebben had questions about the proposal’s addressing of affordable housing and the target number of 25 per cent. While the proposal indicated that a mix of housing types and sizes shall be developed within the residential designation, a minimum of 40 per cent of those new housing units would be in forms other than single detached dwellings. Sebben was worried that doesn’t do much to address the city’s growing needs for new housing that addresses density needs.
“I can’t speak to exactly how dense it would be but I think the only thing less dense than townhouses would be single-detached homes, so I think there’s a long way to go to push for more density here,” he said. “And I would like to see if one of the reasons that this development is approved is that there is an increase or a dedicated percentage of affordable housing. That needs to be something in writing, and this is council’s opportunity to put it in there. Staff are going to bring back more information on that, and I’m interested in seeing what options there are. But for me, I think we need to push for more density.”
Fellow councillor Jo-Dee Burbach also expressed an interest in the portion of this development that would be affordable and is hoping that staff can come back with more clarity on what council’s options are at this stage of the proposal.
“We have an official plan from 2016 that is quite vague, and its requirement of 25 per cent is for the whole city, so what does that look like,” she asked. “My specific request was to get staff to give us an idea of what we can do within our old official plan and then maybe there can be a discussion, if not for this project than for future projects and what we can look at as far as incentivizing goes that would allow us to move forward so we can reach our goals quicker.”
As a delegation to council, Mike Sullivan was one of two to bring up the subject of environmental concerns – particularly the lack of any discussion in the proposal’s report concerning energy conservation, climate change or greenhouse gas avoidance.
“The report mentions matters of ‘provincial interest’ which, according to the Municipal Act, planners must have regard to,” he said. “Missing completely is any discussion of several matters of ‘provincial interest’, including the promotion of development that is designed to be sustainable, to support public transit and to be oriented to pedestrians; the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation to a changing climate.”
He added that the report deals with the 2024 Provincial Planning Statement and quotes from some of its sections but ignores Section 2.9 which directs planning authorities to plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the impacts of a changing climate. Sullivan also referenced the city’s official plan and how it lacks certain climate change points but added he thinks it should read as though they’re included.
“Bottom line, the planners have not included in their analysis of this development, any of the requirements under the Planning Act, the Provincial Planning Statement or the official plan for the mitigation and reduction of greenhouse gasses,” he said. “In 2019 the city declared a climate emergency and in subsequent years adopted a Community Climate Action Plan, hired a climate change manager to guide the city, and incorporated a climate lens in budgetary deliberations. The city committed to reducing emissions by 30 per cent from 2017 levels by 2030, which is just five short years from now. The fast majority of greenhouse gas emissions in Stratford come from building heating and hot water heating systems, through the use of natural gas, and from transportation through the use of gas or diesel powered vehicles.”
Sullivan pointed out that the city has approved a 360-unit development on the Krug Factory site as well as a multi-building senior care complex on the north side of the city, both of which lacked mention from city planners regarding requirements to deal with climate change.
“It may be a response to tremendous pressure to build housing, but the need to reduce or eliminate the use of fossil fuels should at least be considered,” he said. “There is nothing preventing the city from making demands of these builders that they build without natural gas heating and hot water. The technology for heat pumps is now on par in terms of cost with gas furnaces and hot water, and homeowners without a natural gas hookup will save over $400 per year just in the connection charge.”
Burbach said she agreed with that thinking, adding it would be nice to provide home buyers with a choice in the matter.
“I think what we’re trying to do is encourage developers to realize that there can be choice and that if we want to move towards a more environmentally sustainable city and society that we need to move away from some fossil fuel things and we need to give developers that nudge to say you can do this and think outside the box,” she said. “It’s becoming affordable and it would be a selling feature for future residents to say you’ve got the latest technology and it’s going to save you money as well as help the environment.”
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