The surrounding area consists of a range of housing types; single-detached homes, semi-detached homes, mid-rise apartment buildings, and high rise apartment buildings. The proposed mixed use development will help diversify the housing types and tenure for the surrounding area. The requested increase in permited building height is minor in nature and is compatible with the surrounding developments.
There are a number of locations in the surrounding neighbourhood that offer parkland and open space areas that can be utilized by the proposed redevelopment; Centennial Park, Windsor Sculpture Park, Roy Batagello Boardwalk, Legacy Park, Straith Park, and Ernest Atkinson Park. The applicant is requesting relief from the City of Windsor Zoning By-law provision pertaining to amenity space due to the amount of accessible open space nearby.
The subject site is located along a Class I Arterial Road, has full municipal services available, is near public transportation, and has compatible surrounding land uses, and as such, meets the City of Windsor’s locational criteria for mixed use development (OP, 6.9.2.3). The subject site is conveniently located near the University of Windsor and St. Clair College downtown campuses, and will provide students with an accessible and affordable housing option. The City of Windsor is currently completing an Environmental Assessment (EA) for University Avenue between Huron Church Road and McDougall Street. While not complete yet, the EA is envisioning that the section of University Avenue West adjacent to the subject site will be transformed into a corridor which prioritizes public transit and active transportation modes of travel. When transformed, the subject site will be more atractive to students (who are less likely to own a vehicle), since they can travel to either university or college campus by bus, cycling or walking.
Due to the site’s proximity to the railway to the west, the applicant plans to prepare a noise & vibration study to evaluate the potential negative impacts of the railway on the proposed future land use and submit as part of Site Plan Control (OP, 5.4.5.1). The study components of the proposed noise & vibration study will follow policy 10.2.11 of the Windsor Official Plan.
City staff have identified the subject site as potentially contaminated and the proposed development will also require a record of site condition in accordance with Ontario Regulation 153/04 as part of the Site Plan Control process (OP, 5.4.8.6).
3.4.2 Land Use
The PPS states that major facilities and sensitive land uses should be planned to ensure they are buffered and/or separated from each other (PPS, 1.2.6.1). This is to ensure that adverse effects from odour, noise and other contaminants are prevented or mitigated, and that the risk is minimized for public health and safety. No Official Plan Amendment is required for the proposed development as the proposed use is currently permited under the existing Mixed Use designation (OP, 6.9.2.1).
The subject site has been identified as potentially contaminated due to its previous commercial use, and will require a Record of Site Condition in accordance with Ontario Regulation 153/04 (OP, 5.4.8.5). It is the intent of the applicant to participate in the Environmental Site Assessment Grant Program for the completion of a Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessment Study, as recommended by City staff.