The Blue Mountains council has given the thumbs up to a 19-unit infill development in Thornbury.
At a special meeting on Dec. 6, council voted unanimously to approve a 19-unit condominium/subdivision development in Thornbury. The proposed development is located on property in between Alice and Alfred Streets.
The development includes seven single detached units and 12 semi-detached units. It also includes a stormwater management system, visitor parking, a private road and a snow storage area.
Council approved the rezoning needed for the development to proceed. The file will now be forwarded to Grey County, which is the approval authority for the subdivision/condominium aspect of the application.
As part of the approval, council implemented some increased rear yard setbacks for the semi-detached units that will back onto the yards of existing homes on Bruce Street. The increased setbacks are intended to create more buffer space between the new and existing units.
The proposal has been on the books for two years, with a public meeting on the proposed rezoning being held in Sept. 2022. Council had delayed approval of the rezoning in November in order to address concerns from neighbours about buffering between the development and their homes on Bruce Street.
Council asked a number of questions about the development during the discussion on the staff report. Prime concerns included stormwater management, snow storage, buffering and how the possibility of additional residential units would impact the development.
Planning consultant David Riley said the proposed development includes a modern, underground stormwater management system.
“It’s actually going to improve drainage on the property and the surrounding lands,” said Riley. “It’s a really good way to manage stormwater.”
Riley also noted that while additional residential units would be allowed on the properties, he said the reality is that the condominium agreement will set the rules on what is allowed or not allowed. He also noted that with the increased setbacks there wouldn’t be a lot of space in the yards for additional residential units to be built. He did note that an additional residential unit could be included inside the homes.
Members of council were supportive of the proposal moving forward and were pleased to see the concerns raised by the public address.
“I’d love to see this go through,” said Coun. Paula Hope, who said it was good to see infilling development happening in Thornbury. “I really want this to work.”