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The Oakville Beaver, Friday May 26, 2006 - 3 Residents cry foul over high-density proposal Council hears accusations of bait and switch -- saving the high rise until last By Angela Blackburn Agram Drive knew it would be erected behind their backyards. But now the plan is changOakville's move toward ing. pedestrian-friendly, transitWhat's proposed is 60 townfriendly, "new urban" neigh- houses approximately 2.5bourhoods that work storeys high with provincial calls "I thought immediately for intensification is behind the Oakville was not going over well townhomes, not only in established about parks and with an eightareas of town, but also nice homes, not storey building with new residents liv- about mass built very close ing within blocks of transit and to both Dundas Dundas Street -- Street and towers." what's to be a six-lane Prince Michael major thoroughfare Drive. Michael Kennedy, complete with transit Blair Taylor, resident lanes. the lawyer for "I thought Oakville Ashley Oak was about parks and nice Homes told council the resihomes, not about mass transit dents should like the townand towers," said Hartfordshire homes as a buffer to the taller Way resident Michael Kennedy. building rather than having a He was among many north- four-storey building close to east Oakville residents living in their backyards. the area of Prime Michael Drive Residents, however, said they to come out in force at didn't like it. Monday's Planning and Town planner David Capper, Development Council meeting. in his report to council -- the The residents were opposing Town is obligated to evaluate a plan by developer Ashley Oak applications filed with it -- said Homes -- from whom they'd the proposed plan is better planpurchased their homes -- to ning than what currently is prodouble the height of a high den- vided for in Oakville's outdated sity building proposed for a Official Plan and is reflective of high-density-zoned chunk of new Provincial Policy land at the corner of Prince Statements (PPS) that encourMichael Drive and Dundas age intensification to save Street. greenspace by better using existThe developer is also asking ing land and infrastructure. for the piece of that land that While Capper said the fronts onto Dundas to be Official Plan is a guide that changed from one allowing a needs flexibility, residents said place of worship to high density the proposal was not flexible, residential. but excess. Residents told councillors While the public transportathat they'd bought into the area tion that's expected to be availwith the knowledge that a four- able on Dundas -- expected to storey building was planned for be at least a six-lane thoroughthat land -- those living on fare with transit lanes -- was OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF bandied about as justification for such a high density proposal, Kennedy told council, "Part of the reason we live here is so we don't have to deal with that." Another resident told councillors that while the transitfriendly, pedestrian-friendly, urban environment is envisaged by the Town, there currently isn't even a walk-to grocery store in the area and that the urban dream is years away from being a reality. Yet another resident, Dave Daschuk kept asking if it's the Town of Oakville or City of Oakville. "This is not Oakville, not the Oakville I know and if this gets done, I do not like the direction that Oakville is going in," said Daschuk. The proposal is for 1142 Dundas Street E., on the southwest corner of Prince Michael Drive and Dundas St. East -- currently a vacant parcel facing another vacant parcel on which a commercial plaza is to be built. Ashley Oak Homes wants to build an eight-storey, 375-unit condominium apartment building and 60 townhouse units. The proposal requires an Official Plan Amendment and zoning bylaw amendment to allow for an increase in building height, from four to eight storeys and a change from a place of worship designation to a residential high density designation. Residents complained that across the street, on the north side of Dundas, the Town's plan calls for buildings three to six storeys in height. The apartment would have 375 units along with the 60 townhouse units for a total unit tally of 435. That would bring somewhere between 500 to 800 people to the area. Parking is to be underground, with the exception of 15 visitors spots for the townhouses, but council had questions about the townhouse parking, if it would be in enclosed garages or car ports and how a central garbage system located at the apartment building for both the apartment and townhouses would work -- not in theory, but practice. After several hours of discussion, the clock ran out, even after the allowable 30-minute extension, so the issue was adjourned until June 12. oyster perpetual yacht-master steel and yellow gold SAVE $ 1100 SAVE UP TO ON COOLING FACTORY COSTS* 50% Discover New Products 's UP TO 21 SEER RATING UP TO 13 SEER RATING 15 SEER RATING REBATE DO NOT PAY FOR 6 MONTHS** OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK *SEE STORE FOR DETAILS O.A.C. OAKVILLE TOWN CENTRE I 300 North Service Rd. W. at Dorval Oak Town Centre 1 QEW Dorval 905-844-1223 North Service Road