Category: Growth

I regret that I am unable to attend tonight’s meeting due to a prior commitment. Well here we are. Many months have passed since this proposal to develop the old gas station site at 180 Gordon Street was brought forward. Many public meetings have been held, consultations have been done with the neighbourhood and citizens […]

Re the proposed development at 180 Gordon Street, the development proposal serves two useful purposes – it makes use of a vacant lot in a highly visible location, and it helps to increase density in an area near the downtown. However, the development as proposed appears to try to squeeze too many units into a small space, with […]

Attached are my submission to Council and comments on the planning analysis for 180 Gordon Street, in case you have any time to look at them . As noted I think there are three main points that Council Members should address. (1) Since the OP Amendment is new, never seen by Council or commented on […]

The Mayor responds to a planning procedural concern. I have been made aware of a procedural concern regarding Council’s consideration of the 180 Gordon application on Monday Feb. 6. As explained to staff, the concern is that Council is holding the Statutory Public Meeting for the proposed Official Plan Amendment on Monday night and this […]

An update from planning staff. The following recommended change to the process at Planning meetings of Council came out of our recent meeting with the Guelph Wellington Developers Association and subsequent discussions with our Planning staff regarding improvements. This change to our procedures during Planning meetings of Council has been endorsed by Ann and Karen. […]

This email is to express to you our City’s administration’s response to the ‘opportunity’ poised by the Province’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, as per the “Investment in Affordable Housing for Ontario Program” (otherwise referred to as the IAH). As background – the IAH program is in Year 1 of 4 Year program – […]

Senior staff comment on a development application: In recent articles in the local media, there appears to be the perception that our Planning Department has been slow on bringing a recommendation to Council for decision on this application. This is inaccurate. • The original application from Abode was deemed to be “complete” by Planning staff […]

A resident comments on a development application. We are writing to provide you with copies of the two reports prepared by our Planning experts Beate Bowron and Gary Davidson dated December 28, 2011 in relation to the proposed Development at 716 Gordon Street. We learned, just prior to Christmas, that the Developer has now filed […]

A resident responds to the leaked report. Another private-sector report from another city — Oakville instead of Markham this time — has just revealed that city hall has again outsourced its intelligence. And again it pits Guelph’s national reputation as the best place to live in the country against big developers who always want more of Guelph […]