A proposal is likely coming forward that could see apartment buildings added to Willow West Mall property.
A representative of Starlight Investments, who own Willow West Mall, appeared at Guelph City Council’s planning meeting Monday and indicated a proposal is in the works.
“Starlight intends to bring forward an Official Plan amendment and zoning bylaw amendment in the near future to allow for a high density mixed-use development in order to implement the Official Plan vision for the site,” said Jennifer Meader, a lawyer representing Starlight.
No application has been made and there is no sense of how big the development might be at this point.
Meader was on hand to ask for a deferral of the passing of an amendment to the city’s Official Plan, an amendment that is intended to protect existing commercially-zoned areas in the city and designate new property for commercial development.
There were some things in the amendment that Starlight objected to, including a limit of six stories on apartment buildings on property with the designation Willow West Mall has, and a new requirement for developers to provide a planning study justifying the reduction of a commercial property by 25 per cent or more for other uses.
“With the greatest of respect, it’s Starlights position that this particular policy is overly onerous,” Meader said, later adding that the height and density limits are too low for Willow West Mall.
The current zoning is limited to buildings six storeys tall. Starlight’s planning consultant, Astrid Clos, said in a letter to council that 15 would be more appropriate.
They would also like a density of up to 170/units per hectare rather than 150.
Councillor Bob Bell said that for developers to “use this Official Plan amendment to expand into the ‘residentialization’ of shopping centres is inappropriate.”
Melissa Aldunate, the city’s manager of policy planning and urban design, told council that Monday was the first time they had heard from Starlight asking for the Official Plan amendment to be put on hold.
“It’s the first time hearing this request through the three-year policy review,” Aldunate said.
She said the new rules don’t prohibit mixed uses, it just ensures that commercial zones are protected, ensuring the city has enough land supply.
Mayor Cam Guthrie chimed in, confirming that the amendment requiring studies if commercial uses were reduced past a certain threshold put the onus on the developer to prove their point back to council.
The Official Plan amendment passed unanimously.
