A city committee has decided to move forward with a condo development in Windsor's Forest Glade neighbourhood despite push back from neighbours.
On Monday, the Development and Heritage Standing Committee approved the rezoning of a property at 3129 Lauzon Rd. to make way for four, three-storey buildings which will house 96 condo units.
Residents had presented the committee with a petition with 180 signatures opposed to the development.
Committee chair and councillor Rino Bortolin, says the last time the area saw any major growth was 30 to 40 years ago.
"Back in the 70s and 80s we saw a huge explosion of suburban style subdivisions and we're finally on a growing pattern again and we cannot afford to simply put up single family homes along the way and not increase the density in our community," he says.
Bortolin says growth is needed to help pay for infrastructure improvements.
"Our flooding master plan is at a price tag of half a billion dollars. This investment will not come from our tax base today. It will need to come from an increased tax base and from a community that maximizes its land use planning as much as possible," he says.
Bortolin calls the Lauzon corridor the perfect place for a development like this.
"I hear the concerns of the residents as they live in a neighbourhood that is unique in its characteristics and those types of things, but this is an arterial road that has transit, that is close to schools, close to churches. Allowing to share that with as many people as possible makes sense," he adds.
The committee made one amendment to the proposed development by limiting the height of the buildings to 12 metres.
Ward 7 councillor Jeewen Gill represents the Forest Glade area and voted against the plan.
The development still needs final approval from city council.