Third tower to rise in Pickering
http://www.newsdurhamregion.com/news/article/142012
Planning committee approves 25-storey building
Dec 08, 2009 - 03:12 PM
BY KRISTEN CALIS
PICKERING -- Despite strong resistance from residents Monday night, the planning and development committee approved a third tower at what used to be the Bay Ridges Plaza.
The committee approved SR and R Bay Ridges Ltd.'s application for a third tower to be constructed as part of the San Francisco By the Bay development, just west of Liverpool Road and Bayly Street. The mixed-use, 25-storey building will be home to 237 condominium apartment units and 410 metres of leasable floor space.
The original development approved in 2006 was for 161 townhouses, two apartment buildings (16 and 18 storeys) and 25,000 square feet of commercial space.
The new 237-unit building will make a total of 734 units on the site. Although Pickering's Official Plan allows no more than 140 units per hectare in the area, the committee made an exception to allow 225 in this case.
Residents rejected the City's stance the increased density fits with the Province's Places to Grow report, which requires heavy intensification in municipalities by 2031, since Bay Ridges is outside of the downtown growth centre. The City's director of planning, Neil Carroll, said the area borders the growth centre and is close to transit and the GO station.
Residents said it's too early for council to approve another tower when the other two haven't been constructed yet.
"I think it's fair to ask if and when it will ever be built," said Tim Dobson, chairman of the group Growing Responsibly in Pickering (GRIP).
Moiz Behar, representing SR and R, said 110 of the townhouse units have been built. He couldn't confirm when the towers will go up, but said it should be in the near future.
Steve LaForest, of the Pickering Naturalists, said the building will be detrimental to Frenchman's Bay and the Douglas Ravine.
"This ravine has survived nearly five decades since Bay Ridges was originally developed and we'd like to see it survive another five decades," he said.
He argued migratory birds stop there and fears many will die from flying into the towers.
The developers were criticized for avoiding the environmentally-friendly LEED Silver Standard certification process, but Mr. Behar said the development will follow Pickering's sustainable building guidelines.
"We're going to endeavour to the best of our ability to make this building as sustainable as possible," he said.
Long-time Bay Ridges resident Hazel Daubeny, who fears the extra traffic the building will bring, said the busiest times at Bayly and Liverpool are between 6 and 10 a.m. and 4 and 7 p.m.
"Walking at that time to the GO train is hazardous, to say the least," she said.
Ward 2 Regional Councillor Bill McLean backed the residents, but couldn't convince the committee to delay the decision on the tower.
It will go to council for final consideration on Monday, Dec. 21.
