Three storeys rather than five an acceptable adjustment, say local residents
An application by a developer for a zoning bylaw amendment at 1145 Pelham Street, in Fonthill, is causing a furor with proximal neighbours.
If accepted, the amendment would rezone the lands from a General Commercial-89 zone to a site-specific Residential Multiple 2 zone, permitting a five-storey apartment dwelling containing 47 units and one guest suite.
The property is located on the east side of Pelham Street, south of Bacon Lane. Pelham Street is classified as an arterial road, part of which is currently undergoing reconstruction.
The issue was before Pelham Town Council earlier this month, with presentations from both the developer’s planning consultant, and several aggrieved local residents. Numerous other area residents submitted complaints to the Town online, which were included in the meeting’s agenda notes.
Linda Getz, one of the Pelham residents who submitted comments to the Town via email, summed up the local angst with the project.
“Here we go again! Another developer looking to ruin Fonthill’s small town charm for a big paycheque,” she wrote. “As a resident of Brookbank Crescent, not far from 1145 Pelham Street, the thought of a five-storey eyesore makes my blood boil. The Town keeps letting developers build dwellings that jam as many people as possible into one spot. With more people comes more cars and more traffic. Pelham [Street] is already too busy. This will only get worse with the addition of 45 families. Imagine you’ve lived in the same house on the same quiet, pretty street for over 30 years, and one day you walk outside and can no longer see trees and blue sky because of a five-story monster invading your privacy. How many Town councillors would be okay with that? I’ve lived in Fonthill for my entire 37 years and don’t plan on moving. I love it here. But nobody wants an apartment building in their backyard. I plead with you, vote no!”
Imagine you’ve lived in the same house on the same quiet, pretty street for over 30 years, and one day you walk outside and can no longer see trees and blue sky because of a five-story monster invading your privacy
Fallingbrook Crescent lies opposite the proposed development, on the west side of Pelham Street, with backyards facing the site. Three residents spoke with the Voice about their objections.
Gail Belchior is concerned about the increased density and height of the structure, a lack of compatibility with the neighbourhood and community, a reduced front yard setback from the current bylaw, traffic and safety impacts, and insufficient parking, along with noise and light pollution. She would prefer a building design limited to three storeys and a maximum of 36 condominium units, to reduce negative impacts.
Bob Marx shares all of Belchior’s concerns, and endorses a three-storey luxury apartment/condominium building without the rooftop terrace floor in the proposed design.
Stephanie Hicks fears her loss of privacy, and said that the additional storeys for luxury units only increase profit for the builder. With a lack of affordable units, she doesn’t see a community benefit.
“If the zoning bylaw amendments are approved, Fonthill residents living, working, and traveling near 1145 Pelham Street will be negatively impacted by the development, which is population-dense, and intrusive to adjacent private properties,” said Belchior. “We want the Mayor, Town Council, and staff to reject the zoning bylaw amendments, and to work with community residents and the developer to find a reasonable and acceptable residential three-storey building structure alternative.”
Hicks’ primary concern is the safety of her two young children.
“Pelham [Street] is a very busy roadway, and I’m worried about the increased traffic compromising the safety of kids in the neighbourhood, and also the overflow parking on the streets,” she said.
Belchior said that there are two walkway pathways off Fallingbrook and Tanner Drive that will access the proposed building.
“That’s where the overflow parking is going to go, onto our streets,” she said. “In the winter, they will likely also lose parking spaces due to snow accumulation and plowing. One of the points that wasn’t made during council meeting was that, ten or 15 years into the future, if Pelham Street needs to be widened with added lanes due to increased traffic, how will they do that with this building so close to the street?”
The building proposal at 1145 Pelham is being funded by the Duliban family, which operates an insurance brokerage business in Pelham. The Dulibans were a significant financial supporter of the Meridian Community Centre, and purchased naming rights to one of the arenas.
“There is some confusion over whether these units would be rentals or condos,” said Belchior. “Apparently, it is condominium ownership, but each unit is owned by the family, with units rented out. They're looking for a constant rental income. So, okay, with fewer units, they might not be able to get to their break-even point as quickly, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of our privacy.”
“Whatever council approves will set a precedent for what happens in the rest of Pelham,” said Marx. “It was clear at the council meeting that the developer had no ‘Plan B’ in mind, so I'm hoping that we have planted the seed, that they had better go back to the drawing board and start re-thinking the proposal, based on the input from the neighbors.”
Questions and comments about the proposed development may be sent to Pelham’s Senior Planner, Shannon Larocque, at 905-892-2607, extension 319, or by email to [email protected]. A report will be presented to council once all feedback is received.
A link to an online petition to reject the 1145 Pelham Street zoning by-law amendment application is available at: https://chng.it/9c8TYyNN
