City Council Preview - What's on the Agenda for the October 10 Meeting?

At this month's planning meeting, city council will designate two new heritage properties and rejigger some development fees. Oh, and they hope you like the idea of another mid-rise apartment building along Gordon Street...

CON-2017.42 43 Arthur Street South: Notice of Intention to Designate Pursuant to Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act - Fusion Homes is asking that Heritage designation be granted to their property on Arthur Street, which is part of their Metalworks development. The five buildings that make up the old industrial property were built over a nearly 50-year period from 1835 to 1882, and were most recently part of the W.C. Woods Company. Because the construction represents "multiple eras of growth and development", and because they're representative of "19th and 20th century vernacular industrial architecture in Guelph," Heritage Guelph is endorsing the designation to council. 

CON-2017.43 122 Cardigan Street (Kelly’s Inn): Notice of Intention to Designate Pursuant to Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act - Bernard Kelly was one of a number of Irish immigrants to settle in Canada in the middle part of the 19th century, and he and his family laid roots at the corner of London and Cardigan in the building now known as Kelly's Inn. This old tavern, and its "simple Georgian style" is "representative of Guelph's mid-1850s stone tavern buildings" and has already once, in the early 90s, been susceptible to modification from its historic visage (the original roof is already gone). Now, with the endorsement of Heritage Guelph, the current owners will enthusiastically preserve the roof line, the exterior stone walls, and the location of the original door and window openings. 

CON-2017.44 Review of City of Guelph Development Application Fees - Can you believe it's been 13 years since the City last reviewed the development fee structure and bylaw? Neither can staff, which is why they initiated this process. A report from Performance Concepts Consulting Inc. was received earlier this year, and their initial report was presented to council at the June 12 planning meeting. The new fees will look to a 100 per cent cost recovery philosophy. This may sound like it might cost the City some business, but the consultant's report noted that in areas that have high fees, like Milton, those fee levels had no material impact on development. It turns out it's all about "location, location, location" after all. Staff is recommending that a base fee of 80 per cent be applied based on an industry standard that will capture the majority of fixed costs. The new fees will go into effect on January 1, 2018, and, upon staff recommendation, be reviewed once every term of council. 

1300 Gordon Street Proposed Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment File: OP1704 and ZC1707 - More mid-rise apartments will be coming to Gordon Street if this plan passes through council. Presently, there's a single-detached house on the property, but Carousel Estates Home Inc. wants to build a six-storey residential apartment building with 32 units in all. This will be the public statutory meeting for this development, so if you have concerns, this is your time to voice them.