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A London developer is seeking rezoning approval for a townhouse complex near Meadowlily Woods, pitching city council on playground upgrades at nearby schools in lieu of affordable units.
The developer, Royal Premier Homes, wants the property rezoned at 21-41 Meadowlily Road and 20 Norlan Avenue to permit a three-building, 92-unit townhouse complex. That’s southeast of the busy Highbury Avenue-Hamilton Road intersection in east London.
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“We want shovels in the ground as soon as it’s approved,” said Farhad Noory, chief executive of Royal Premier Homes.
Each building will be 3.5 storeys, the planning justification report filed with city hall states. A public meeting on the rezoning application is set for Dec. 3. Comments to politicians must be received by Nov. 1.
Instead of providing affordable units, the developer is offering to finance upgrades to playgrounds at nearby schools.
The closest ones to the new development are Ealing public school, Tweedsmuir public school and St. Bernadette Catholic school. But the exact schools that might benefit aren’t specified in the developer’s report to city hall.
This kind of offer from builders has become more common after the provincial government in 2022 did away with Planning Act rules that permitted city hall and builders to enter “bonusing” agreements to create affordable units, said Ward 8 Coun. Steve Lehman, chair of council’s planning committee.
Under those agreements, for example, a developer would be allowed to add more storeys to a highrise than was typically allowed in exchange for adding affordable housing units to the tower.
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Royal Premier Homes’ pitch to city hall also includes a plan to expand the municipal watermain serving neighbouring Urban Roots, a non-profit urban farm and social enterprise.
Urban Roots already has a two-inch water pipe servicing its property, but is willing to work with the developer on ways it can invest in the neighbourhood, executive director Anna Badillo said.
“We do see a benefit to the townhomes, in the sense that it could provide more volunteers for the farm and future tenants will have access to our affordable Farmgate Market,” Badillo said, adding she does not speak for all the neighbours in the area.
“We are open to having that working relationship with the developer.”
Though city hall has lost the bonusing agreement option in its toolkit for dealing with developers, council has seen builders make donations to non-profits or provide other community improvements to make up for it, Ward 1 Coun. Hadleigh McAlister said.
City hall is looking for a way to formalize the rules surrounding this new post-bonusing relationship, he said.
“We directed city staff to come back with a cash-in-lieu policy to address this situation in the future, because as of right now it is entirely left up to the developer if they wish to anything,” said McAlister, whose ward includes the Meadowlily townhome development.
The townhome project has been years in the making, with official plan and zoning bylaw amendments approved by council in September 2022. Four affordable units, and four townhome blocks with 84 units, were originally planned for the townhome development.
A minor variance at the site was approved earlier this year. The rezoning that is being sought comes as Royal Premier Homes works to finalize its plan with city hall.
jbieman@postmedia.com
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