9 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,June 23,2022 insidehalton.com CHOOSE YOUR LIFESTYLE. INDEPENDENT LIVING, SUPPORTIVE LIVING AND SHORT TERM STAYS 1459 NOTTINGHILL GATE OAKVILLE 905-469-3232 DELMANOR.COM rey mixed use building and a 19-storey mixed-use building at the northeast corner of the Trafalgar and Cornwall roads intersec- tion. The development area is currently occupied by a Beertown restaurant and an Indigospirit bookstore. The proposal states the 19-storey building will con- tain 177 residential units and 254 square metres of commercial space, while the 14-storey structure will include 140 residential units and 706 square me- tres of commercial space. The plan calls for be- tween 238 and 317 under- ground parking spaces and 109 underground bicycle parking spaces. Vehicle access is pro- posed at the existing sig- nalized Cornwall Road/ Reynolds Street intersec- tion, where left turns will be permitted (currently not allowed). The plan will also see the right-out exit onto Tra- falgar Road eliminated. The subject lands are in the Cornwall District of Midtown Oakville, where building heights are re- stricted to four to 10 sto- reys. Midtown has been des- ignated as a growth area and is expected to accom- modate 20,000 residents and jobs by 2031. News of the proposed development did not sit well with some residents, who voiced concerns about what such a large influx of condo units would do to an already busy area. Jette James of the Tra- falgar Chartwell Residents' Association said the area is already unsafe for cycling and walking. She also worried the de- velopment would result in gridlock, particularly on Cornwall Road as more ve- hicles attempt to turn left into the plaza. David Mallen of the Chartwell Maple Grove Residents' Association had concerns for the safety of the growing number of people crossing Trafalgar Road to access the Oakville GO station. Glenn Wellings, a plan- ning consultant for FCHT Holdings, said a traffic im- pact study was completed as part of the development application and was re- viewed by town staff, who recommended approval of the development. When pressed by Ward 4 Coun. Allan Elgar about when the traffic study was conducted, a representa- tive for FCHT noted it was carried out in 2019, prior to the pandemic. "You'll be aware that re- gional council has recently taken a position of not ex- panding the urban bound- aries to the year 2041 and potentially to 2051. This de- cision will result, in my opinion, in a higher rate of intensification within the urban structure across the region," said Wellings. "The subject lands are within a provincially des- ignated urban growth cen- tre ... If intensification is not appropriate here then my question is where would this type of develop- ment be appropriate." Council was split on whether to approve the de- velopment. Ward 3 Coun. Janet Has- lett-Theall argued the den- sity proposed for the site is too high at 528 units per site hectare. Town Senior Planner Tricia Collingwood said that density level is true if you only look at the 0.6 hectares being built on in this project. She said if you take the development's entire five- hectare site into account it works out to a density of about 63 units per site hect- are. Multiple councillors ar- gued it made no sense not to support growth in a growth area. Ward 5 Coun. Jeff Knoll described the development as compact and transit friendly. He also said the town's north had been taking a lot of the provincially mandat- ed density and it was only fair for some of that to be spread out across the town. Ward 3 Coun. Dave Git- tings said he was aware the proposed development was in a growth area, but noted it was also across the street from a residential area. He said he wanted a re- spectful transition for those residents and argued that transition was 10 sto- reys. Council ultimately ap- proved the development plan, with a vote of eight to five. STORY BEHIND THE STORY: With a now-ap- proved condo tower devel- opment to be built near the Oakville GO station, we wanted to share how resi- dents and councillors feel about the project. NEWS SAFETY AND TRAFFIC CONCERNS RAISED BY RESIDENTS Continued from front Town of Oakville illustrationJanet Haslett-Theall photo Coun. Janet Haslett-Theall (left) is among those concerned about the condo towers approved near the GO station; Concept art for condo towers approved for the area immediately northeast of the Trafalgar and Cornwall roads intersection.