A controversial plan to build a four-storey condominium building next to Roseland Golf Club is moving forward after Windsor city council approved the required planning changes at its regular meeting on Monday. The 48-unit building is planned for 455 Kennedy Dr. W, on part of the former clubhouse and parking area. It will have a maximum height of 17 metres and include 85 parking spaces: 74 underground and 11 at ground level. Council approved a change to the property’s zoning designation from open space to residential and rezoned it for the development. Before the final approval, Coun. Fred Francis, a long-time opponent of the proposal and council representative for the area, introduced a motion to deny the planning applications and restart the process. That motion failed. Francis said opposition in the neighbourhood has remained strong, pointing to a previous petition containing 223 signatures and survey results he said showed significant concern. “I don’t think it’s a good idea and I think we could do other things with that property,” Francis said, before questioning why an appraisal was not completed before the proposed $1.5 million sale price became public. “Would I rather have had it before the decision was made and not after the fact? Yes, I would have,” Francis said. Mayor Drew Dilkens defended the process, saying he had not seen another housing proposal receive more public consultation during his 20 years at city hall. Dilkens said the project followed years of council decisions and public consultation surrounding the aging Roseland clubhouse, the future of the property, and the city’s push to use municipal land for housing. “Every single decision throughout the process has come through city council every single step of the way,” he said. Supporters argued the project would give South Windsor residents another option to downsize without leaving the neighbourhood. “They want to continue to live in that Roseland neighbourhood because it’s a great neighbourhood,” said Coun. Kieran McKenzie. “It adds to the housing stock, further protects an important city asset, in my opinion, and checks all the boxes from a planning perspective.” According to the city’s planning report, the building is expected to generate between 16 and 18 vehicle trips during peak hours, which consultants determined would have a negligible effect on surrounding roads. The report also found the development is not expected to adversely affect the existing trunk sewer. Stormwater management details will be further refined during the site-plan process. The approved plan requires at least 33 per cent of the property to remain landscaped, along with a 12-metre setback from the front property line, and fencing to partially screen the surface parking from Kennedy Dr. The city has selected a joint venture between Valente Development Corporation and Bear Construction and Engineering Inc. to build both the residential development and a new Roseland clubhouse.
