Council has approved a rezoning application for a proposed residential development along Riverside Drive in Windsor despite opposition from the city's planning department.
During Monday's meeting, council approved a rezoning application for a piece of land at 2121 Riverside Drive West, between Rankin Avenue and Askin Avenue, for a project that calls for the development of a three-and-a-half-story apartment building with 46 one-bedroom studio apartments and 12 on-site parking spaces.
The units would be less than 400 square feet with an eye on attracting students from the nearby University of Windsor.
Mayor Drew Dilkens, Ward 1 Councillor Fred Francis, and Ward Councillor Jo-Anne Gignac voted against the application, which sought approval for exemptions to the zoning bylaw, including an increase in residential density, an increase in building height, and a reduction in required parking spaces.
Gignac says it's a beautiful property but voted against it due to concerns raised by administration.
"I count on administration. They are our experts, and they tell us what we have in place in terms of many things we do in the corporation. As we get into building in this new era, I rely more and more on what they tell me in the context of these meetings," she says.
The administration recommendation to deny the application pointed to a number of issues, including the policy direction listed in the Provincial Planning Statement 2024, the City of Windsor Official Plan, and the Intensification Guidelines; that the project would increase in density; hinder the site functionality; reduce accessibility; and adversely impact current and future residents.
He noted that the current residential zone permits detached, semi-detached, and townhouses, and a multiple dwelling containing a maximum of four dwelling units, which would allow him to build more than what's being proposed.
Ward 4 Councillor Mark McKenzie voted in favour of the application, pointing out that the developer could build four townhouses with 48 bedrooms as opposed to 46 studio apartments.
"This is going to address some of the issues we're also seeing in Ward 2. In Ward 1, I'm even seeing it in my ward where you have overcrowding in these homes. People living on mattresses, in basements, and you have a two-bedroom apartment or two-bedroom home, and you have two dozen people," he says.
Ward 7 Councillor Angelo Marignani voted in favour of the application, saying that it we need more diversity like this in our housing stock.
"It addresses our housing needs and the diversity that we're all trying to achieve. It promotes intensification and effective land use. It enhances transportation and walkability in our city," he says.
There is currently a home on the property that would be demolished to make way for the development.