A six-storey retirement home will soon rise on the property that has long been home to Oakville’s well-loved guide dog facility.
Town council has unanimously approved redevelopment of the former school building on Wilson Street that has been home to the Lion’s Foundation of Canada Dog Guides since 1983.
The guide dogs will be moving to a new, purpose-built facility in the Joshua Creek area, likely in 2023.
In 2020, the town received an application from Amico Properties Inc. and Oakville-based Spruce Partners Inc. to build a six-storey, 230-unit retirement home on the Kerr Village property.
The building will include a ground-floor restaurant and patio on Kerr Street that will be open to the public.
A town staff report suggests its footprint will be generally similar to the existing building, and it will have 110 parking spaces for staff, residents and visitors.
The property abuts Westwood Park and has frontage on Kerr, Rebecca and Wilson Streets.
Despite revisions to the proposal over the last two years, some neighbouring residents are still concerned with the size of the development, the traffic it will generate and the placement of a garbage building on the Wilson Street side of the property.
Local resident Gavin Virgo brought his concerns to the March 7 planning and development council meeting, asking councillors not to approve the proposal.
"The concerns of residents located to the east are unheard and unaddressed," he said.
In particular, he expressed concern about the impact of the garbage area to be located on the northeast corner of the site, about 3.5 metres from Wilson Street.
"Is it absolutely essential that the developer place a garbage and loading facility in the area of the site that is literally the worst location, with maximum impact on the nearby homes?" he asked.
Town planner Paul Barrette told councillors that garbage would be contained inside the building to eliminate odours.
He said the door of the garbage facility will face Rebecca Street and will be designed to allow trucks to move in a continuous forward motion to eliminate backup beeping. Barrette added that the developer has committed to scheduling pickup during daytime weekday hours.
A letter to council from the West River Residents Association (WRRA) says the town did a poor job communicating with residents about the issue.
"One of the main concerns of neighbouring residents was odour and the noise of garbage trucks moving in and out of the facility," it says. "As it turns out, although some of the issues have been mitigated, there was little, if any, explanation to the neighbours about what was being done and why."
"The garbage location hasn’t moved, and it and the entire building is, in fact, much closer to the street than the existing structure."
While supportive of the addition of a seniors’ residence to the community, WRRA expressed concern with the town’s process, criticizing the release of a 32-page planning report only three days before the meeting.
"It’s a very long, detailed report and is difficult for non-planning people to digest," noted the letter.
"If the Town continues to talk about transparency and the importance of community consultation, I believe actions need to match the talk."
Infill development "difficult," says councillor
Ward 2 councillor Ray Chisholm acknowledged the challenge of infill developments near single-family homes.
"It is very difficult when you have not too much of a buffer or separation between residential and commercial," he said. "No doubt it’s going to be a challenge when you have these types of infill facilities coming into the area."
The town will continue to work on traffic and pedestrian safety concerns raised by neighbours, said Ward 2 councillor Cathy Duddeck.
"It is not without regret that we couldn’t meet all the concerns of the immediate neighbourhood," she said. "But by no stretch of the imagination are we finished on this."
She added that a seniors building would be less problematic to the neighbourhood than other types of condominium use that would have significantly increased traffic onto the property.
While zoning for the site would normally allow a maximum of four storeys, the developer can build an extra two storeys in exchange for funding community benefits.
According to the town staff report, that might include contributions to help expand seniors’ space at the Oakville Trafalgar Community Centre.
The facility will provide a continuum of care comprised of approximately 104 memory care and assisted living suites and 126 independent living suites.
The first floor will house amenities for residents, including dining rooms, library space, a spa and fitness area, a lounge or games room and a greenhouse. An outdoor dining area is planned to back onto Westwood Park.