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Council agrees proposed housing for Broadway will meet need

January 25, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS, LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

Pending possible zoning bylaw changes, Orangeville’s Broadway could have a new look when coming into town off Highway 10. 

Town council heard during its meeting Jan. 22 that municipal staff recommends supporting a proposal to develop a section of the main thoroughfare. Brandon Ward, the town’s manager of planning for infrastructure services, said the project has come along nicely since it was first broached.

Weston Consulting applied in August 2021 as the agent for 2131997 Ontario Inc. (Elite Developments) to amend the town’s zoning bylaw to permit the development of an eight-storey mixed-use building, located towards the southern portion of the subject lands along the Broadway frontage. It will be built where Angel’s Diner and the former Blackout Night Club currently stand. 

The zoning bylaw amendment application proposes a site-specific provision to the Neighbourhood Commercial designation to permit the development.

The site plan application is in the final stages of review, and the town will issue conditional approval after council adopts the zoning bylaw amendment.

The initial proposal was to build a nine-storey structure, but that was amended to an eight-storey building.

The original submission of the proposed development consisted of 97 residential units and a commercial space. The existing medical building located at the rear of the property is to be retained. The two existing and vacant commercial buildings will be demolished to make way for the proposed development.

The unit breakdown was initially 30 one-bedroom units, 43 one-bedroom units with a den, and 24 two-bedroom units.

The proposal also includes 134 square meters of indoor amenity area, 779 square metres of rooftop amenity area on the 5th floor, and a total of 2,013 square metres of outdoor landscaped areas.

The changes to building plans call for a 97-unit, eight-storey mixed-use rental building with a commercial space. The unit breakdown is now two studio units, 30 one-bedroom units, 41 one-bedroom units with dens, and 18 two-bedroom units. The proposal also includes 130 square metres of indoor amenity area, 879 square metres of rooftop amenity area and a total of 2,013 square metres of outdoor landscaped areas.

The number of parking stalls has been reduced from 253 to 221 in accordance with the findings and recommendations of the Parking Justification Study prepared by R.J. Burnside & Associates, which has been accepted by the Town.

In response to the parking reduction for the mixed-use building, a condition will be added to the site plan agreement requiring a warning clause to advise potential renters that parking stalls are limited on-site and will be regulated by the owner/property manager of the property.

Vehicular access will be by way of Broadway and Sherbourne Street.

“Overall, we think that the project has come along quite positively,” said Brandon Ward, the town’s manager of planning at infrastructure services.

Councillor Andy Macintosh said he has complete support for the development, and he believes it will be a great addition to the town’s main street.

“Right now we’ve got an abandoned night club that is either going to fall down or burn down, surely,” he said. “We’ve got a restaurant, which I love. It’s a great restaurant. Unfortunately, it’s also in rough shape.”

He said he’s read many comments on social media by people lamenting the state of lower Broadway and others who complain about a lack of rental housing in town.

“These are rental units, so it’s really going to help people find a place,” Macintosh said. “And it’ll also bring prices down. When you have more places to choose from, the demand comes down.”

Coun. Joe Andrews, who is also the chairperson of the town’s homelessness task force, said the proposal is a perfect example of supporting the community’s housing needs.

“It is also complimentary to the demands in our community,” Andrews said.

Martin Quarcoopome, vice-president at Weston Consulting, said there currently are no plans for electric vehicle charging stations at the development. But it’s something he’ll suggest to the proponents.

“There’s still the next step here of executing the site plan agreement,” he said.

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