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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday March 1, 2008 - 7 Builder seeks rezoning for three apartment towers on Kerr Street By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Residents at Monday's Planning and Development Council meeting were not shy in speaking out against a proposed development that would see three apartment towers (15, 18 and 21 storeys) built in the area bounded by Kerr Street, Speers Road and Shepard Road. The developer, Empire Communities (Water Garden Communities), is calling on council to amend its Official Plan and zoning bylaws in the area to allow the redevelopment of the land for 536 apartment units, which would be housed in three towers. Permission to use the land for related commercial/office purposes is also being sought. Consultation with the town on these issues is required as the majority of the subject land is currently zoned mediumdensity residential, which permits apartments at a maximum density of 49 units per site hectare. Other lands on the site are designated Community Shopping Area, and while no density range is specified, the Town's Official Plan does establish a four-storey height maximum regardless of the designation. Steven Armstrong, representing Empire Communities (Water Garden Communities) brought forward the developer's case. "This is a great site for high- density development," he said. "It's basically less than a kilometre from the GO Station, you've got the Kerr Street Village, you've got existing infrastructure and we believe this is an appropriate type of development." Armstrong noted the project is needed to revitalize the area, which in his view, is underutilized as only a three-storey apartment building and three single detached dwellings currently stand there. Two of these dwellings, 531 and 533 Kerr St., are listed on the Town's heritage registry and as such the developer plans to incorporate them into the design of the proposed complex. Armstrong said that to accommodate the increased traffic from the development, Empire Communities (Water Garden Communities) will pay to widen Kerr Street from Shepard Road to Speers Road so that a left turn lane for people turning onto Speers Road can be constructed. "We would like to see a recommendation report come sooner rather than later," said Armstrong. "The applicant is anxious to go. We have plans to launch the site and market the site as soon as possible. We've cleared the site and cleaned it up and shortly we will be demolishing the rental apartment that is vacant. We're quite anxious to get on with this project." Local residents, however, are of a different opinion. "There's a guy that has a business on Shepard and he can't get his trucks in and out because of the traffic now," said Chris Kowalchuk, of the West River Residents Association. "To allow this development to proceed I think is irresponsible, it's negligent. There is a safety issue around traffic now." A traffic analyst hired by Empire See Residents page 12 COMPLETE RENOVATION SERVICES LTD. · Kitchens · Basements · Bathrooms · Wood Floors · Custom Cabinetry · Stone Masonry · Additions · Interior Design All Trades, One Company We Do It All! JOHNSON Pud By Steve Nease snease@haltonsearch.com References available. Fully licensed & insured. www.johnsoncompleterenovations.com 647-221-4929 OAKVILLE'S ORIGINAL BOOTCAMP 2 LOCATIONS: St Cuthberts Anglican Church 1541 Oakhill Dr. (off Maple Grove) 6:00am, 9:30am, 6:00pm River Oaks Community Church 2435 Munn's Avenue East 6:00am Visit the MANSION This MARCH BREAK! Classes start Monday, March 3rd Oakville's Original Boot Camp March 10-14 Family FUN that doesn't cost a ton! INDOOR & OUTDOOR FITNESS TOTAL BODY CONDITIONING 1 hour a day / 3 or 5 days a week / 4 weeks ! ! ! ! ! Registered "Hands on History" day camps (Limited space- Register today through oakville.ca!) Enlist today! Register online at www.survivorbootcamp.com or call 1 877 BOOTCMP (1.877.266.8267) Franchises Available! Guided tours through the Chisholm Mansion "The Underground Railroad: Next Stop Freedom" Multimedia Exhibition- New this year! "Obscure, Odd and Obsolete: Curiosities from the Oakville Museum" Interactive Exhibition We've extended our hours for March Break! Visit us Mon-Sun from 11 AM to 5 PM OAKVILLE MUSEUM AT ERCHLESS ESTATE 8 NAVY ST. 905.338.4400 WWW.OAKVILLEMUSEUM.CA Small Class Sizes Ensure Guaranteed Results.