Losani’s amended Paris plan — townhouses instead of a contentious apartment building — wins councilor approval

Brant County councilors have approved townhouses in place of a contentious apartment building in the Paris Mile Hill subdivision east of Rest Acres Road.

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The zoning amendment will permit 72 stacked, back-to-back and regular townhouse units for one block, and the previously proposed 80 three-storey townhouse units for the other block.

The revised proposal from developer Losani Homes went to the county in October, after a public outcry.

Residents were outraged to learn an eight-storey apartment building was proposed on one of the vacant blocks between Lydia Lane and Powerline Road. They said Losani had led them to believe townhouses were planned for the area.

The zoning amendment will result in 139 fewer residential units, with a maximum height of around 3.5 stores.

Still, the compromised sparked concerns from councilors on Nov. 12, including over a lack of adequate parking and green space, the loss of anticipated commercial units and the impact of increased traffic.

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And, the proposal is more than three times the county’s minimum density target, Coun. Steve Howes pointed out.

It also has smaller lot areas and setbacks than the county permits.

“Why should we roll over and accept these continuous challenges” from “almost every developer who comes to this council” asking for more, “with the reasoning they want to have more and more dwellings,” Coun. John Bell asked.

“It seems greedy,” Mayor David Bailey agreed.

The comment struck John-Anthony Losani, a representative for the developer, as “grandstanding … particularly as it relates to previous discussions,” he told The Spectator in an email.

“Losani Homes initially proposed an eight-storey apartment building because the county’s new official plan permitted up to 10 stores. In response to the community concerns, Losani Homes scaled-back its plans substantially to provide for only townhouses,” he said.

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The officials’ frustrations reveal “an internal conflict, as they now find themselves at odds with the planning documents they previously approved,” he said.

The area is experiencing rapid growth. In fact, the Grand Erie District School Board has asked Losani to notify prospective buyers that the local public schools — Cobblestone Elementary and Paris District High School — are operating at or above capacity, and future students may be placed in temporary facilities, busy to a school outside the area, or transferred to another school at some point.

The county will still need to approve a detailed design before development of the site begins.

Celeste Percy-Beauregard is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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