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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, June 14, 2012 · 4 Council rejects plan for being too dense Oakville Town council rejected a condominium plan from Fernbrook Homes Monday, on the grounds the development was not appropriate for its 1215 Lakeshore Rd. W. location. Fernbrook proposed changing the area's zoning to permit the development of three single-detached homes fronting onto Lakeshore Road and 42 semi-detached houses on the interior of the 2.66-hectare site. A private condominium road would service the interior buildings. In his report to council, the Town's senior planner, Kirk Biggar, opposed the development, stating it was simply not compatible with area homes. The surrounding neighbourhoods, Biggar said are characterized by detached homes on lots that range in size from large to very large. Biggar also noted homes are set back from the road and separated from one another by substantial distances. "The Livable Oakville policies identify that intensification requires the maintenance and protection of the existing neighbourhood character to ensure stability," Biggar said in the report. "The proposed application does not exhibit the characteristics of the neighbourhood and, in fact, proposes to introduce not only a different built form (semi-detached dwelling), but also a net density that is two to three times greater than the density of the existing neighbourhood." Biggar took issue with the drainage and stormwater management concept proposed for the development, which seeks to control flows using an onsite underground storage tank. "In order to accommodate this stormwater storage system, it is proposed that the grades on the site are elevated approximately 1.0-1.5 metres," Biggar said in the report. "When this design solution, resulting in elevated grades, is added to the requested zoning height exceptions of two metres, the height of the proposed new dwellings could exceed the height of existing dwellings on adjacent properties by up to 3.5 metres." Biggar said this height difference raises privacy and shadowing issues for the existing neighbourhood. He also said that public input with regard to this proposed development has been largely negative, with residents expressing numerous concerns about the development's density, building form, height, setbacks, coverage and drainage. For these reasons, Town staff recommended council refuse Fernbrook's application request. Councillors backed the request when voting.