Windsor council approves 92-unit development, defers 12-storey high-rise proposal

One of two east Windsor development proposals before city council were approved after lengthy discussion Monday evening, with neighbouring residents pushing back against the proposals in each case.

“We haven't had this order of magnitude of applications coming forward in the City of Windsor for a long, long time,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens after Monday’s meeting. “Now we're seeing them with regularity because you see 4,000 people who've moved here over the course of six months. They need somewhere to live.”

“We have to find a balance,” said Dilkens, who said it’s about finding the right development for the right space when reviewing and approving re-zoning applications for repurposed land.

Council debated for two hours and heard from numerous residents, most of whom were opposed to a plan to build two six-storey condo developments on a vacant parcel of land at the corner of Reginald and Alexis Streets next to the former Gordon McGregor School.

The initial proposal called for more units, with developer Ralph Meo landing on a pitch to construct two 46-unit condos, for a total of 92-units near the Ford Test Track.

“The vacant land is going to be developed one way or another, the question is how,” said Meo, noting the space was prime for development.

The property will also host 123 parking spots to ensure ample parking, as set out by city criteria. Meo said it was scaled down and rotated to reduce shadows, but neighbours who showed up to city hall Monday night still weren’t happy.

“I have a number of concerns,” said Paul Michaud, a longtime resident of the neighbourhood.

He said nearby residents are frustrated that existing parking woes will be exacerbated, and residents will have to live with increased shadow casting from the tall building and more traffic, especially on busy Sundays when the nearby Ford Test Track hosts hundreds of people playing recreational soccer games.

“I think we could work with the developer and probably look at something that would add up to modest and compatible development,” he said. “But two six-storey monoliths do not.”

Ward 1 Coun. Fred Francis and Ward 4 Coun. Mark McKenzie voted against the motion.

“We have to hear the residents. We have to hear the people that live in these neighbourhoods,” said Francis, who said he understands the neighbourhood concerns. “Everything I hear from the residents, we're not against development. We're not against buildings, but make sure it matches and coexists, is compatible, consistent, whatever term you want to use.”

“And more importantly, can you please ensure it’s not going to reduce my quality of life? I don’t think that’s an unfair ask,” he said.

The rest of council supported Coun. Ed Sleiman’s motion to approve the re-zoning to allow the project to move ahead, noting the city is in the midst of a cultural shift.

“We're pivoting from a big small town to a small, big city,” said Ward 2 Coun. Fabio Costante. “And part of that is recognizing that neighborhoods are not static.”

Ward 9 Coun. Kieran McKenzie said the size of the development pushes the limits of what he’s comfortable approving, but said he was swayed by the fact that it fits the bill for in-fill development, is located near amenities and along a transit line.

“We're in a housing crisis. People are coming to the city of Windsor because it's a great place to live,” McKenzie said. “As a result, we need to create space for them to live here. That means we all need to make room.”

The plan will now go to site-plan approval in the coming months.

ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT DEFERRED

Council also reviewed another development proposal at 3251 Riverside Dr. E. That one featured a 12-storey condo building boasting 84 total units, including a mixture of high-rise units and town-homes.

Again, residents showed up opposed to the scale of the development.

“What is reasonable? We’re not against this, we just want something that we can be proud of in our area,” said Dan Mazur, a nearby resident.

But in this case, the application wasn’t approved, with council opting instead to defer the matter for two weeks. Mayor Dilkens said there were too many questions which the majority of council felt went unanswered.

“It was right for us to pause for two weeks to understand what we're doing, and make sure that we're all on the same page,” said Mayor Dilkens.