A controversial five-storey housing development in Cook Street village is once again going to public hearing.
The development proposed by Urban Core Ventures at Oliphant Avenue and Cook Street has faced a rough ride from some residents with many saying it’s too large and at five storeys out of scale for the village.
In July, councillors voted to send the project to public hearing only to reverse that decision hours later, asking developer Urban Core Ventures to “address some concerns expressed by the neighbourhood, including height and integration of the building into the village.”
“It won’t be an easy discussion. It won’t be an easy public hearing,” said Coun. Chris Coleman, council liaison to the neighbourhood.
Coleman said the city has been keen to see rental units, including those at below market prices in the project, which has survived plan revisions. “So the more we push, the more we put those housing units at risk,” he said.
After meeting with residents and city staff since July, the project has undergone several revisions:
• Although still five storeys, the building height has been reduced 3.3 feet, to 54 feet.
• The ground floor has been radically changed with four live/work townhouse units facing Cook Street and Oliphant Avenue and three townhouses facing the rear lane replacing five commercial units. One commercial unit will remain at the corner of Cook and Oliphant.
• Previously proposed rear surface parking has been replaced with landscaping.
• Upper storey trellises have been introduced.
• Larger units including three-bedroom units have been added at the request of neighbours to ensure diversity and a family-friendly environment.
Several councillors said they were prepared to send the project to public hearing simply because it’s time for the public to weigh in.
Coun. Pam Madoff voted against sending it to hearing. Considered in the context of the village, “it’s like the bully has arrived on the street from an architectural point of view,” she said.
Coun. Geoff Young said he was pleased with some of the revisions such as the reduction in height and the replacement of surface parking with landscaping, but said the changes didn’t go far enough.
Young said the city’s request for guaranteed rental units “is not seen by the neighbourhood as sufficient to offset the impact on the local neighbourhood of the extra density which is translating into extra height.”
He said the city should seek amenities that are “of specific value to the local neighbourhood rather than meeting overall philosophical objectives of the city government.”
