Contested plan to double units in five triplexes backed

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A controversial plan to double the number of units at five triplexes in south London has eked out an endorsement from politicians.

Despite impassioned pleas from current residents of 145 Base Line Rd. W. against the overhaul, and city staff saying the development would be too intense, the planning and environment committee voted 3-2 on Tuesday to give initial approval to the project.

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Deputy mayor Shawn Lewis, and councillors Corrine Rahman and Steven Hillier voted to endorse the project, while committee chair Steve Lehman and Coun. Skylar Franke voted against.

“We need housing . . . (and) there is that concern of a demolition and another type of building to be put there,” Lehman said. “On the other hand, it’s an extremely tight space.

“While I see the need for housing, I just think the impact on the residents here is too great.”

The site, just west of Wharncliffe Road, has five, one-storey buildings with three apartments in each.

The proposal, from a numbered Ontario company, would add three basement apartments, for a total of six in each building, says a city staff report.

The staff report recommended rejecting the idea, saying it is too much intensification. Staff supported adding one unit to each building to create a total of 20 units on site. 

Representatives of the developer defended the proposal, saying it meets all local and provincial planning standards.

“We believe this project is a great example of gentle intensification within an existing neighbourhood, where units can be brought to market rather quickly,” said Jerzy Smolarek, a partner in Si-vik Planning and Design that represents the builder.

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They also quashed any notion of the project being a “renoviction,” saying existing tenants will be moved into vacant units on site while their unit is renovated and rents will be maintained.

However, residents lamented they will lose basement storage space and expressed concerns about crowding.

“I have a single mother beside me who has six children,” said Courtney Crossen, an existing tenant. “We lose half of our space, could you imagine seven people living in 650 square feet?”

Several politicians sympathized with residents, but agreed the landlord has the ability to change the buildings they own.

“We’ve heard from the consultant that it’s deemed not livable space. It seems that a lot of people do a lot of living in it,” Franke said.

Lewis, the vice-chair of the committee, applauded the move to keep tenants on site, and said tenants could take their loss of space to the landlord and tenant board for a rent reduction.

“We don’t want to displace these folks into the open market, but at the same time, I do think that we need to recognize the landlord does have the right to renovate,” he said.

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Each of the five buildings has about  353 square metres (3,800 square feet ) of floor space, including three main-floor apartments and an unfinished basement.

Each building has two, two-bedroom units of 107 square metres (1,154 square feet) and one three-bedroom unit of 147 square metres (1,584 square feet).

The developer is looking at adding two, one-bedroom units of 52 square metres (565 square feet) and one two-bedroom of about 70 square metres (751 square feet) in the basement of each building.

The Ontario Building Code sets minimum unit sizes of 35 square metres (375 square feet) for one-bedroom units and 50 square metres (540 square feet) for two-bedroom apartments.

The motion was passed with a baked-in clause to solidify the commitment to accommodate tenants in empty units on site.

The project will still need the approval of full council on Nov. 26.

jmoulton@postmedia.com
@jackmoulton65

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