Councillors cut down proposed 6-storey building in Westboro
City councillors shaved down a proposed six-storey building in Westboro Tuesday, worried the building would cast too much of a shadow over its neighbours.
Domicile Developments wanted to build a six-storey building on Roosevelt Avenue, but councillors at the city's planning committee voted to restrict the building to four storeys.
Coun. Jeff Leiper said it was just too big for the area.
"It would look great on Richmond Road, but it is being put well down a residential street," he said. "You're putting a building in that people would never have expected to have allowed on the street."
The site on Roosevelt Avenue is just off Richmond Road and the developers had argued it should be treated similarly to properties on that busier street. But Leiper said the side streets off Richmond are different.
"It's fundamentally unfair to the residents who live there to say your residential street is now going to get traditional main street development."
Neighbours unimpressed
Isabelle Martineau lives one street over from the development and said residents in the area are not opposed to all change. This one was simply too large for the street.
"When we did the public consultation, the residents were not against a four-story building, but the six was way too much," she said.
She said there needs to be a better plan for the area, before the community is permanently changed.
"The neighbourhood will lose its vibe and I think they are destroying the neighbourhood," she said.
Developer pushes for change
Miguel Tremblay, a consultant working for the developers, encouraged councillors to approve the original height.
He said in addition to being near Richmond Road, the development would be just a few hundred metres from the Dominion Transitway station.
He said Domicile respects the community.
"The core of their business is anchored in Westboro and they have an excellent knowledge of both community and context."
The proposal must still face a vote before all of city council.
