A proposed Howard Avenue development coming to committee Monday is raising bigger questions about infrastructure capacity, at least for one city councillor.
The project at 3793 Howard, north of Cabana Road East, would include four townhouse-style buildings facing the road, with 16 units total, along with two apartment buildings behind them reaching up to six storeys.
In total, adding more than 170 units, along with roughly 220 parking spaces for residents and visitors.
Kieran McKenzie, ward 9 Coun. and member of the Development and Heritage Standing Committee, says while the proposal meets planning rules, he’s concerned about whether infrastructure in the area can keep up.
“You have capacity in the system, but, even in the report it acknowledges that we’re getting very close to the limits of that capacity. I’m very concerned,” McKenzie said.
“I want to hear what our engineers have to say about the capacities that exist, the mitigation that we could potentially have in the instances of significant weather events.”
Last month, council approved a rezoning application for a six-storey building directly across the street from this latest proposal.
McKenzie says funding needed to support continued growth along the corridor has not yet been committed in the ten-year capital plan.
“I don’t have full confidence that everybody around the council table has a full appreciation of what’s happening in this 2 kilometer stretch of the city,” he said.
“I don’t think that administration is looking at it, and I don’t think we even have the tools to look at these proposals as a collective.”
McKenzie says rejecting projects isn’t realistic under current provincial rules and the city would likely lose on appeal before the Ontrario Land Tribunal.
“We would spend time, taxpayer money, resources at the city of Windsor, and we would not be able to find anyone in Ontario to defend the city’s position,” he said.
The Development and Heritage Standing Committee meets at 4:30 p.m. Monday.