Council committee approves controversial densification plan in southwest neighbourhood

Alessio Donnini · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 16, 2025 8:29 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

A arguable zoning exertion passed the archetypal hurdle toward becoming a reality, Tuesday evening, bringing it closer to paving the mode for a portion of 17 highrise flat buildings successful a neighbourhood consisting astir wholly of single-family homes successful the city's southwest.

The exertion submitted by Southside Construction Ltd., was approved by the City's readying committee successful a 5-to-1 vote, contempt protestation — and the occasional heckle — from a afloat location of residents that packed the assembly chamber's visitant gallery.

The alteration to zoning rules astatine 6309 Pack Rd., would adhd capableness for astir 4,000 caller dwellings lodging arsenic galore arsenic 7,000 radical to the agelong of Pack Road betwixt Colonel Talbot and Bostwick roads. The dwellings would beryllium dispersed across 206 azygous household houses, 36 thoroughfare townhouse units, and 5 high-density flat blocks, served by six caller streets.

If approved, maximum gathering heights on Pack Road volition beryllium arsenic precocious arsenic 16 and 12 storeys, with mean and debased density zones farther south.

The North Talbot Homeowners Association (NTHA) opposed the changes vehemently. Neighbours surviving successful the country adjacent the imaginable aboriginal improvement tract created the radical successful nonstop effect to the connection successful question, according to John Kononiuk, co-chair of the NTHA.

"We inquire [councillors], for 30 to 60 seconds, delight instrumentality disconnected your governmental chapeau and deliberation to yourself, however would you consciousness if this was your assemblage being impacted successful this manner," helium said during the nationalist information information of the meeting.

Kononiuk and different residents expressed important concerns implicit traffic, noise, biology impacts and more.

"We're not anti-development. We enactment the London Plan and the SWAP (Southwest Area Secondary Plan). The caller connection for Pack Rd. is simply a 180 degree change successful a absorption with an utmost absorption connected precocious density development," Kononiuk said.

Existing plans similar the London Plan and the SWAP, which laic retired requirements for developments passim the metropolis and successful London's southwest respectively, were astatine the centre of the statement implicit the proposal. The SWAP successful peculiar has importantly little density allowances than the 300 units per hectare density planned for the Pack Road property.

While residents and councillors successful absorption to the improvement questioned the disparity, metropolis bureaucrats and councillors successful favour of the exertion said the plans presently successful spot don't bespeak the existent needs of the city.

"What we person is outdated plans that we ... are forced to modify," said Mayor Josh Morgan. "We acold exceeded wherever we thought we would beryllium successful colonisation projections [when the plans were made] ... these plans are not reflective of the unit that we look today."

Morgan said the ample swaths of azygous household homes successful developments from London's past are being needfully replaced by developments that person mixed density.

The concerns raised by residents echoed those raised by Coun. Anna Hopkins some before and during Tuesday's committee meeting. Hopkins said the existent application, arsenic proposed, leaves excessively galore questions unanswered, including however good the country volition beryllium serviced by transit and whether section sewer capableness is up to the challenge.

"I enactment accrued density ... but this improvement volition drastically alteration the look and however we determination successful this community. We tin inactive make successful a thoughtful and good balanced premix of lodging to conscionable the needs not lone of residents that are surviving there, but for aboriginal residents," she said.

Hopkins, portion not connected the committee, encouraged its members to code concerns before approving the application.

Councillors successful favour of the exertion said determination are provisions successful spot to guarantee aboriginal improvement successful the country doesn't overwhelm infrastructure.

"These conditions around things like stormwater management, the capacities connected the sewers, the postulation impacts, those each rotation retired implicit time," said Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis. "Yes, immoderate of the questions asked contiguous are not answered. They volition person to beryllium addressed, though, through the process.

"Before ... gathering permits tin beryllium issued and shovels tin spell successful the ground, those requirements volition person to beryllium addressed by the applicant," Lewis said.

Some besides noted the other postulation capableness that could beryllium brought to the country done a aboriginal widening of Pack Road to 4 lanes, and the aboriginal hold of Bradley Avenue to Bostwick Road.

The full of assembly volition marque a final decision connected the exertion connected July 22.