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It’s an overbuilt monstrosity that will steal sunlight from the neighbourhood. Or maybe a beautifully designed streetscape addition that will serve as an eastern gateway to Bronte.
A dozen or so Bronte residents were divided in their opinions on a proposed 15-storey tower for the southeast corner of Lakeshore Road West and East Street during an Oct. 4 meeting of Oakville’s planning and development council.
The town has received an application from Podium Developments to amend the official plan and zoning bylaw to allow a 50.5-metre rental apartment tower with ground-floor retail space on the 0.38-hectare site.
The plan calls for 245 apartment units, 446 square metres of retail space and 273 parking spaces in four levels of underground parking.
It will also provide a 446 square metre triangle of open community space at the southeast corner of the property.
For most opposing the project, height and density are the main concerns.
Current zoning on the site permits four to six storeys, with up to 10 storeys allowed with bonusing, noted Shelley Thornborrow, president of the Bronte Village Residents Association.
She argued that Podium’s plan would push the height to 237 per cent above zoning while providing 17 per cent less parking than required.
“We support growth – growth that is balanced, reasonable and safe for our community,” Thornborrow said.
‘This is not Toronto’
The outdoor spaces of adjacent buildings – including the Lighthouse's deck and pool and the Oakville Senior Citizens Residence's patio – would be shaded by 4 pm every day between April and September if the proposal is allowed. This is according to an independent shadowing study cited by resident Lyndsey Thomas.
“The proposed development has not considered its neighbours in this established community,” said Thomas. “Sixty units – almost 80 residents – in the Lighthouse will have half if not all of their windows and their further view entirely blocked by this proposed building.”
“Bronte is a great balanced neighbourhood because of its space between built form,” she added. “This is not Toronto.”
Other residents expressed concerns about parking, the impact of construction on the neighbourhood and the perceived assault on the character of the area and the town’s development policies.
“We’re in an era where mandated intensification is threatening the character of our village community,” said Donovan Cox, an unsuccessful candidate for Ward 1 councillor in the 2018 election. “This kind of large development was really meant for Oakville’s northern designated growth areas and not for Bronte’s lakeside village.”
Architectural “masterpiece” to mark the gateway
But councillors also heard from residents pleased to see a new building for an area that’s been “looking on the rough side for a number of years.”
Reed Bracken, an early-30’s father who recently moved to Bronte from Toronto, said he often wanders the neighbourhood with his young daughter.
“I support this application,” he said. “Having walked along this stretch of Lakeshore, I can’t help but notice that it does feel a little bit barren, and I really love the outdoor community space that is proposed.”
He added that the rental building might offer an affordable living choice for young people or encourage older families to downsize and free up single-family homes.
Long-time Bronte resident Brian Hassett offered effusive praise for the beauty of the building, designed by the IBI group also responsible for the Shores condominium.
“This is a masterpiece opportunity gateway sort of thing,” he said. “This building is a ‘hello, you’re here.’”
One parking space per unit
Several delegates questioned the feasibility of Podium’s plans to include only 245 parking spaces in a building with 245 units ranging in size up to three bedrooms.
The plans also include 28 parking spaces to be shared between apartment visitors and commercial tenants.
In response to fears that the shortage of parking will lead residents to overwhelm Bronte's already strained parking resources, Christian Hugget, Podium’s vice-president of development, said the company is looking to contribute to a less car-dependent future.
He added that they have a big stake in getting the parking right.
“We have to build what we think is rentable in the long run,” said Hugget. “We have to build the right amount of parking, or we aren’t going to be able to rent out our units.”
After reviewing all the information submitted, town planning staff will recommend whether the development should be approved. That recommendation will be brought to a future meeting of the planning and development council for a vote.