The proposed development for 132 Clair Rd. W., which has been in limbo since 2015, is looking for some zoning amendments to allow the residential portion

Vacant lands on Claire Road West could be getting 62-unit stacked townhouses in the near future. 

This comes 10 years after the project was initially proposed. 

The lands, located on 132 Claire Rd. W., span about 0.97 hectares fronting Clair Road, Gosling Gardens and Poppy Drive West. 

Owner Mattamy (TruVilla) Limited is proposing nine townhouse blocks of stacked town houses with 62 units facing Clair Road and Gosling Gardens, with side elevations facing Poppy Drive. 

They have applied for Official Plan and zoning amendments to allow for reduced density at the location.

According to documents provided by the planners, each unit will have a minimum of one in-garage parking space, with some units having flexibility for a second in-driveway parking space; there will be a total of 14 visitor parking spaces provided, with three barrier-free spaces.

There will also be a common amenity area central to the site, about 750 square metres, bicycle parking spaces and perimeter landscaping. 

Access to the units would be from an internal driveway connecting to Poppy Drive West. 

The plan was initially proposed in 2015, featuring commercial uses fronting Poppy Drive and a corporate business park between Poppy Drive and Clair Road but no residential space.

It was revised in 2018 to include stacked townhouses and apartment buildings. 

The overall development was approved by the Ontario Land Tribunal in 2021, but did not include specific density requirements. 

At the time, the area was zoned for a maximum of 60 dwellings per hectare, but that changed in 2023 when the city passed a zoning bylaw requiring a minimum density of 100 units. 

“While stacked townhomes remain a permitted use, it is not possible to achieve the minimum density with a stacked townhouse form of development,” a justification for the development reads. 

The developers are therefore seeking to amend the official plan to reduce density requirements to a minimum of 60 units per hectare, as well as a zoning amendment to address “a number of site-specific provisions necessary to accommodate the proposed development (including density).” 

“The proposal would continue to diversify housing stock in the area by providing additional multiple dwelling housing starts to address the long-term needs of the community,” a justification reads. 

The owner is targeting construction of the townhouses to begin this year depending on approvals. 

Detailed design for the subdivision is underway and registration of the draft plan is anticipated to occur later this year, the brief notes. 

A public meeting on the amendment applications will be held on April 8 at 4 p.m. during a hybrid city council meeting, where city staff will provide recommendations to council on the application. 

Delegation requests and comments should be submitted by 10 a.m. on April 4.