Your Midtown KW Neighbourhood

Council approved the Official Plan and Zone Change requests recommended by staff at the June 25th Council meeting.

Breithaupt office tower moves ahead, despite residents’ objections

In addition, Council approved recommendations regarding resident involvement at the site planning stage regarding the parking garage and the privately owned, publicly accessible parkette (see item E and F below).

There are no timelines assigned to this project and Perimeter Development indicated they do not yet have tenants for this building.

This has been a challenging and intense learning + engagement process for the neighbourhood. However, the neighbourhood has demonstrated, once again, that it is engaged, informed and willing to do the work required to support neighbourhood voices.

In addition to 136 people signing the petition in opposition to the development and 25 – 30 neighbours appearing at the two Council meetings where BB3 was discussed, there were 10+ delegations made by neighbours and countless hours of research, neighbourhood conversations and discussion meetings. Catherine’s estimate 200+ hours is likely a conservative estimate!

It’s been six months of concentrated effort. Many neighbours have become engaged for the first time and others took the brave step of voicing their concerns, in public, in front of City Council for the very first time. It’s an important reminder to “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead

 

RECOMMENDATION:

A. The Official Plan Amendment Application OP17/005/W/GS for Breithaupt Block Inc., 2184647 Ontario Limited, Frederick Andrew Dobson, Paul Raymond Taylor, Kim Taylor & Daniel Paul Taylor requesting a change in designation from General Industrial Employment and Low Rise Residential to Mixed Use with Specific Policy Area 39 to permit mixed use development on the parcel of land specified and illustrated on Schedule ‘A’ be adopted, in the form shown in the Official Plan Amendment attached to Report DSD-18-055 as Appendix ‘A’, and accordingly forwarded to the Region of Waterloo for approval; AND

B. That Zone Change Application ZC17/014/W/GS for Breithaupt Block Inc., 2184647 Ontario Limited, Frederick Andrew Dobson, Paul Raymond Taylor, Kim Taylor, & Daniel Paul Taylor requesting a change from  Residential Five (R-5) with Special Use Provision 129U & 411U and Industrial Residential Zone (M-1) to High Intensity Mixed Use Corridor (MU-3) with Special Regulation Provisions 716R, 717R, & 718R and Special Use Provisions 465U and 468U on the parcel of land specified and illustrated on Map No. 1, be approved in the form shown in the “Proposed By-law” dated march 7, 2018, attached to Report DSD-18-055 as Appendix “B”; AND

C. That the Urban Design Brief dated February 2018, and attached to Report CSC-18-051 as Appendix “C”, be adopted, and that staff be directed to apply the Urban Design Brief through the Site Plan Approval process; AND

C. That Kitchener City Council declare as surplus to City needs and sell at fair market value to Breithaupt Block Inc. and/or 2184647 Ontario Limited, a portion of the laneway between Moore Avenue and Waterloo Street illustrated on the Map of Proposed Lane Closure, attached to Report CSC 18-051 as Appendix”D”; AND

E. That Planning staff be directed to involved a number of interested residents who reside or own property immediately adjacent to the proposed parking garage, in the review of the building facade treatments (elevation plan review), at the site planning stage; AND FURTHER

F. The Planning staff be directed to involve a number of representatives from the community in the review of the design of the privately owned and maintained publicly accessible parkette (amenity area) plans at the corner of Moore Avenue and Wellington Street North, at the site planning stage.