Development & Heritage Standing Committee May 11, 2020 Written submission

From: Horrobin, Barry < bhorrobin@windsorpolice.ca> Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2020 7:47 AM To: Szymczak, Adam < aszymczak@citywindsor.ca> Cc: D'Alessandro, Ashley < adalessandro@citywindsor.ca> Subject: Windsor Police comments: Z-003/20; ZNG-6045 (955 California Avenue) - Al Shipley

Adam:

My comments for this application are as follows. Note that I would have raised the concerns mentioned in my remarks at the pre-submission stage but have no record of receiving the pre-submission information pertaining to this particular application.

The Windsor Police Service does not support the proposed amendment to the Zoning By-Law due to concerns of a public safety nature that may further impact the surrounding neighbourhood, where a tangible quantity of incidents of crime and disorder already exist.

The proposal to demolish the small, existing single unit dwelling and replace it with something substantially larger on the same site and with considerably more occupants, mirrors a pattern that has been taking place in both the 900 and 1000 blocks of California Avenue for a number of years now. The numerous conversions that have increased onsite densities over the years within this neighbourhood have presumably been directed at providing rental accommodation opportunities for University students. However the cumulative effect of all these conversions seems to have consequences in terms of the quantity and nature of incidents police must regularly respond to and resolve. Since 2015, this single block of California has averaged 27 incidents annually requiring the response and intervention of the Windsor Police Service. This figure is well above average compared to a typical city block of residences. We provided similar reasoning to back up our concerns with previous applications within this same neighbourhood in years past.

While it is acknowledged the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) encourages residential intensification, there is presumably a limit that every neighbourhood reaches when such intensification is no longer beneficial or situationally appropriate (a so called “social carrying capacity”), particularly when the long term social health of the neighbourhood comes into question because of it. The police crime and disorder data suggests that limit has been reached. The PPS also states in Policy 1.1.1[c] that “Healthy, livable and safe communities are sustained by: Avoiding