Feedback from the Windsor Park Community League

The league executive discussed the revised DC2 at its November meeting. With regard to the additional traffic and pedestrian safety measures that have been added, our view is that these would not be needed if rezoning to accommodate a 6-storey building were proposed fronting onto the service road along 87th Ave, an arterial road through the neighbourhood, rather than on a local road in the interior of the community.

The site does not meet the location criteria of the Residential Infill Guidelines, which remain in effect, for a project of this scale. It’s also outside the boundary of the major node in the University area according to the City Plan and draft Scona District Plan.

The league’s view is this DC2 project is not appropriate on a busy local road in the interior of the neighbourhood across from the elementary school, community league hall, community rink, playground and basketball court. The school and hall accommodate a day care and Playschool as well as the elementary school. All vehicular access to the parking lots for these indoor and outdoor facilities is from 118th St.

The proposed 6-storey building would significantly reduce sunlight from the west on neighbouring properties, including the single family homes across the alley on 117 St. Their sunlight from the south and east has already been reduced by The Bentley and the building currently under construction at the corner of 87th Ave and 118 St. Both of these buildings meet the location criteria of the Residential Infill Guidelines. Now sunlight will be reduced from the west as well by a project that does not meet the location criteria of the guidelines.

We would prefer to see 4-storey stacked row housing at 8715 - 118 St, front facing row housing at 8731 and 8735 - 118 St and the 2 new skinny houses remain at 8727 and 8729 - 118 St. Such developments would add family-oriented density that is suitable for this location. A 6-storey project is not contemplated by the draft Scona District Plan for this location or for any location in the interior of the neighbourhood, where higher density developments up to 3-storeys in height across a couple of lots are anticipated.

With regard to the revised DC2 provision, we’re disappointed that the league’s earlier suggestions have not been adopted, specifically:

- the height has not been reduced by one storey across the board—to a building that is 5 storeys at the south end, 4 storeys in the middle and 3 storeys where it abuts single family properties to the north.

- the number of parking spaces to be provided in the underground parkade has not been specified.

- a Good Neighbour Agreement to be developed at the Development Permit stage has not been added to minimize the impacts of construction on nearby properties, including the school and the park, and to minimize the impacts of construction vehicle parking on the neighbourhood. In fact, the reference in the 1st draft that no cranes would swing across Windsor Park (the school and the park) has been removed.

We repeat our request to incorporate the above changes into the DC2 Provision.

While we appreciate the addition of regulations regarding setbacks and privacy screening for the rooftop patios, we’re disappointed the depiction of the landscaped patios has been removed from the aerial view in the renderings.

Submitted by Elaine Solez, Civics Director, Windsor Park Community League