ZEBuilder
Active Member
Activa is one of, if not the largest SFH developer in Waterloo Region, they have recently started to switch towards higher density development instead of their historical SFH focus. They have yet to build any of their proposed apartments/condos however this switch in thinking has only happened recently. For example their projects at 495 Huron and 1198 Fischer Hallman Rd.
Harvest Park is one of Activa's current subdivisions, Harvest Park is the marketing name, when the subdivision was designed years ago it was called Stauffer Woods, the engineering firms still call it Stauffer Woods. The subdivision itself is divided into 10 stages. Stages 1, 2 and 3 are entirely complete and contain SFH, townhomes, an elementary school and two SWM ponds. Stage 4 is one of the portions that Activa is currently selling homes from, stage 4 has a few SFH blocks and a larger block (95, more on it later) left. Stage 5 is the other portion of the subdivision that Activa is currently selling from, stage 5 was completed this past summer, site servicing occurred in May and June, curb and asphalt work occurred in July and the remaining services (hydro/cable/gas) was completed after that. The only other portions of the subdivision that have had work take place are stages 7 and 9 with the SWM ponds completed, both ponds in stage 9 were completed this past summer. Stages 6, 8 and 10 haven't had any work occur on them.
Harvest Park/Stauffer Woods is located at 1388 New Dundee Rd which is the boundary of Kitchener, the western boundary of the subdivision is Reidel Dr, beyond Reidel Dr is currently farmland, however it will eventually be new subdivisions as it is the last area that can be developed in Kitchener that doesn't have a subdivision plan, at least 50% of it is owned by Activa if not more. Kitchener does contain more farmland within it's boundary however the rest of the farmland is protected as it is the recharge area for the main aquifer that KW relies upon for water, if it ever gets contaminated KW is in some major trouble hence the development restriction.
Here's a map of the subdivision, Stages 1-5 and the SWM pond for 7 are completed or under construction:
Here's the subdivision plan, everything in red is subject to the OPA/ZBA:
Activa is requesting various changes to the approved zoning for the subdivision which will allow for significantly more density. I will go through each stage in order for it to make some semblance of sense, I will also include the concept plans, they are very conceptual as the plans used for some of them are identical to plans already used on other Activa projects (1198 Fischer Hallman, Trussler West subdivision, and the Trailside subdivision).
Stage 4 Block 95
This is the last portion of Stage 4 that doesn't have any development (ignoring the handful of SFH lots left), it is the eastern corner of Stauffer Woods Trail and New Dundee Rd. The intent of the application is to rezone this to Med Density Residential (Res-6) from Low Rise Residential (Res-5), the new site specific provision will combine the existing provisions and amend them to conform to the Res-6 zoning (Special Provision New-A). For this block Activa is currently planning on a 6 floor midrise building containing 102 units, parking is at a rate greater than 1.0 but for this part of KW there is no good option for anything else.
Stage 5 Block 12
This is the only portion of Stage 5 that isn't currently being sold, it is the western corner of Stauffer Woods Trail and New Dundee Rd, opposite from Stage 4 Block 95. The amendments are identical to Stage 4 Block 95 (Special Provision New-A), in the concept there is a 4 floor building containing 60 units and a 6 floor building containing 90. This block is definitely going to change from the conceptual design because the eastern portion of building 4 is directly on top of an existing infiltration gallery, it could move but there's very few places to put it.
Stage 4 Block 95 Stage 5 Block 12
Stage 6 Block 4
This is the eastern corner of the future Blair Valley St and New Dundee Rd intersection. Much like the last two blocks the amendments asked are identical (Special Provision New-A). In this concept there is 102 units proposed in a 6 floor building, Activa is currently working through the final design and approval process of the rest of Stage 6.
Stage 6 Block 5
This is the western corner of the future Blair Valley St and New Dundee Rd intersection. This will be changed to Res-6 zoning much like the previous blocks. The amendment will compile the existing site specific policies while also adding policies to allow for a max FSR of 2.5 and a height of 10 floors/32 meters (New-B). Activa's concept plan includes 5 buildings, building A and E are 10 floors with 160 units each, B is 4 floors with 56 units, C is 8 floors with 128 units, and D is 8 floors with 116 units. The total unit count is 616 units with 678 parking spaces.
Block 5 Block 4
Stage 8
This amendment will allow for additional educational usage across both Block 1 and 2, this will allow WCDSB to develop an elementary school (New-E). There is no concept at this point.
Stage 9 Block 14
This is the southern corner of the future Reidel/Blair Creek Dr intersection, This will have identical amendments as the previous lands with Special Provision New-A. The concept is two 6 floor buildings each with 84 units.
Stage 9 Block 15
This is the northern corner of the future Reidel/Blair Creek Dr intersection, this will have identical amendments as Block 14 (Special Provision New-A). In this concept there are two buildings, building A will have 6 floors with 114 units and building B will have 6 floors and 108 units. Likewise there will be a parking rate over 1.0 (same as all the previous ones).
Block 14 Block 15
Stage 9 Block 16
This is just to the south of the completed SWM Pond 4, this will combine the existing site specific policies and allow for a max FSR of 1.0. The concept is for 16 rear garage townhomes (New-C).
Stage 9 Block 17
This is opposite of Block 16, like much of the blocks it will have Res-6 zoning with Special Provision New-A. The concept that Activa has developed is for two 6 floor apartments with 108 and 90 units respectively. Likewise parking is above 1.0 spaces per unit.
Block 16 Block 17
Stage 10 Block 1/2
This is the western side of Reidel, south of Block 14 and north of New Dundee. In this case there are 3 proposed towers, two at 14 and one at 22 floors. There will be 508 units in the apartments with the remaining area on the block being used for stacked townhomes. This will require new provisions to allow for the additional height, a FSR of 4.0, combining the existing site specific policies, and requiring a minimum amount of GFA to be non residential (only commercial in the entire subdivision).
Part 1
Harvest Park is one of Activa's current subdivisions, Harvest Park is the marketing name, when the subdivision was designed years ago it was called Stauffer Woods, the engineering firms still call it Stauffer Woods. The subdivision itself is divided into 10 stages. Stages 1, 2 and 3 are entirely complete and contain SFH, townhomes, an elementary school and two SWM ponds. Stage 4 is one of the portions that Activa is currently selling homes from, stage 4 has a few SFH blocks and a larger block (95, more on it later) left. Stage 5 is the other portion of the subdivision that Activa is currently selling from, stage 5 was completed this past summer, site servicing occurred in May and June, curb and asphalt work occurred in July and the remaining services (hydro/cable/gas) was completed after that. The only other portions of the subdivision that have had work take place are stages 7 and 9 with the SWM ponds completed, both ponds in stage 9 were completed this past summer. Stages 6, 8 and 10 haven't had any work occur on them.
Harvest Park/Stauffer Woods is located at 1388 New Dundee Rd which is the boundary of Kitchener, the western boundary of the subdivision is Reidel Dr, beyond Reidel Dr is currently farmland, however it will eventually be new subdivisions as it is the last area that can be developed in Kitchener that doesn't have a subdivision plan, at least 50% of it is owned by Activa if not more. Kitchener does contain more farmland within it's boundary however the rest of the farmland is protected as it is the recharge area for the main aquifer that KW relies upon for water, if it ever gets contaminated KW is in some major trouble hence the development restriction.
Here's a map of the subdivision, Stages 1-5 and the SWM pond for 7 are completed or under construction:
Here's the subdivision plan, everything in red is subject to the OPA/ZBA:
Activa is requesting various changes to the approved zoning for the subdivision which will allow for significantly more density. I will go through each stage in order for it to make some semblance of sense, I will also include the concept plans, they are very conceptual as the plans used for some of them are identical to plans already used on other Activa projects (1198 Fischer Hallman, Trussler West subdivision, and the Trailside subdivision).
Stage 4 Block 95
This is the last portion of Stage 4 that doesn't have any development (ignoring the handful of SFH lots left), it is the eastern corner of Stauffer Woods Trail and New Dundee Rd. The intent of the application is to rezone this to Med Density Residential (Res-6) from Low Rise Residential (Res-5), the new site specific provision will combine the existing provisions and amend them to conform to the Res-6 zoning (Special Provision New-A). For this block Activa is currently planning on a 6 floor midrise building containing 102 units, parking is at a rate greater than 1.0 but for this part of KW there is no good option for anything else.
Stage 5 Block 12
This is the only portion of Stage 5 that isn't currently being sold, it is the western corner of Stauffer Woods Trail and New Dundee Rd, opposite from Stage 4 Block 95. The amendments are identical to Stage 4 Block 95 (Special Provision New-A), in the concept there is a 4 floor building containing 60 units and a 6 floor building containing 90. This block is definitely going to change from the conceptual design because the eastern portion of building 4 is directly on top of an existing infiltration gallery, it could move but there's very few places to put it.
Stage 4 Block 95 Stage 5 Block 12
Stage 6 Block 4
This is the eastern corner of the future Blair Valley St and New Dundee Rd intersection. Much like the last two blocks the amendments asked are identical (Special Provision New-A). In this concept there is 102 units proposed in a 6 floor building, Activa is currently working through the final design and approval process of the rest of Stage 6.
Stage 6 Block 5
This is the western corner of the future Blair Valley St and New Dundee Rd intersection. This will be changed to Res-6 zoning much like the previous blocks. The amendment will compile the existing site specific policies while also adding policies to allow for a max FSR of 2.5 and a height of 10 floors/32 meters (New-B). Activa's concept plan includes 5 buildings, building A and E are 10 floors with 160 units each, B is 4 floors with 56 units, C is 8 floors with 128 units, and D is 8 floors with 116 units. The total unit count is 616 units with 678 parking spaces.
Block 5 Block 4
Stage 8
This amendment will allow for additional educational usage across both Block 1 and 2, this will allow WCDSB to develop an elementary school (New-E). There is no concept at this point.
Stage 9 Block 14
This is the southern corner of the future Reidel/Blair Creek Dr intersection, This will have identical amendments as the previous lands with Special Provision New-A. The concept is two 6 floor buildings each with 84 units.
Stage 9 Block 15
This is the northern corner of the future Reidel/Blair Creek Dr intersection, this will have identical amendments as Block 14 (Special Provision New-A). In this concept there are two buildings, building A will have 6 floors with 114 units and building B will have 6 floors and 108 units. Likewise there will be a parking rate over 1.0 (same as all the previous ones).
Block 14 Block 15
Stage 9 Block 16
This is just to the south of the completed SWM Pond 4, this will combine the existing site specific policies and allow for a max FSR of 1.0. The concept is for 16 rear garage townhomes (New-C).
Stage 9 Block 17
This is opposite of Block 16, like much of the blocks it will have Res-6 zoning with Special Provision New-A. The concept that Activa has developed is for two 6 floor apartments with 108 and 90 units respectively. Likewise parking is above 1.0 spaces per unit.
Block 16 Block 17
Stage 10 Block 1/2
This is the western side of Reidel, south of Block 14 and north of New Dundee. In this case there are 3 proposed towers, two at 14 and one at 22 floors. There will be 508 units in the apartments with the remaining area on the block being used for stacked townhomes. This will require new provisions to allow for the additional height, a FSR of 4.0, combining the existing site specific policies, and requiring a minimum amount of GFA to be non residential (only commercial in the entire subdivision).
Part 1