Norfolk councilors have endorsed a plan to develop a mix of residential units and commercial space on a Queensway West property.
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HFW Holdings Limited plans to build a six-storey building at 395 Queensway West in Simcoe that includes 114 studio, and one- and two-bedroom units, with about 2,700-square-meters of leaseable commercial space on the bottom floor. There would be 166 underground parking spaces for the residential units and 136 surface spaces for visitor and commercial parking.
The plan also includes 38 three-storey townhouse units and six two-storey semi-detached units on the north side of the 2.89-hectare property.
The land is on the north side of Queensway West and the west side of Hunt Street North. Wilson Truck and Trailer Service is on the property, along with a two-storey office, which is being used by the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Canadian Mental Health Association.
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Norfolk council approved a bylaw change and amendments to the county’s official plan for the development at a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 17.
“The development community should know we’re a pro-development council,” said Mayor Amy Martin. “There isn’t a lot of humming and hawing that goes on around this place. We know we need to provide housing options for the public and all that comes with that.”
Project planner Scott Puillandre of G. Douglas Vallee presented advisors with a letter from the applicant addressing their earlier questions related to the developer contributing to the county’s public transit system.
County staff said the establishment of a transit stop on the subject lands would “significantly improve access to public transit within the urban area of Simcoe.” Currently there are just two transit stops on the northern side of Queensway West, which are 1.6 kilometers apart.
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Puillandre said the developer will commit $30,000 to Ride Norfolk to install a bus stop at the development. The money will cover the cost of transit shelter, signs and a concrete pad.
“It will definitely be of significant assistance for transit support and transit-oriented development in our community,” said Brandon Sloan, general manager of the county’s community development division. “It’s a great step forward in Norfolk and will give people some transportation choice.”
The applicant also committed to evaluating various electric car charging options as part of the development.
“I want to applaud the developer for his interest in the community and for looking at our transit situation and making that commitment to Ride Norfolk,” said Coun. Kim Huffman. “It’s nice to know we’ve got developers in our community who are willing to work with the stakeholders and make things better for the residents who will, hopefully, be living in those units in the future.”
Martin said she is making the commitment “my new minimum standard for all developers in the community.”
“Although the province may be whittling away at what we can ask developers to require, we just asked nicely and had a developer deliver. This $30,000 can go a long way to put an additional transit stop in front of housing and create active transportation for our community.”
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