The Town of Newmarket is giving tentative approval of a 28-unit townhouse and single-detached home development on a former school site on Pickering Crescent.
Committee of the whole approved the zoning amendment today for the 415 Pickering project with 24 townhouse units and four single-detached units.
Ward Councillor Victor Woodhouse said proponents have worked with staff to address public concern about the project.
“You’ve been excellent to work with in listening to what the residents have said,” Woodhouse said. “I think you have addressed those concerns,”
Residents had raised concerned about the increased traffic and neighbourhood compatibility. But the builder, 2425945 Ontario Inc., has taken measures including cutting the number of units from 32 to 28, turning the townhouse units on the street into single-detached houses for urban design and community impact reasons, and adding more parking to meet town requirements.
Newmarket Mayor John Taylor said It is a good example of providing different housing options in a community and the proponent has been very responsive.
“Definitely time to move this forward,” he said.
Each home will have private rear yards, plus rear balconies that back onto either town-owned space or the Newmarket High School field.
KLM Planning Partners representative Billy Tung said they have also eliminated originally proposed rooftop terraces out of community concern.
“We’ve been working diligently with your staff to bring some significant changes to the proposed development,” Tung said.
The application will also be conveying land to the town for a future trail. Staff said the trail could be part of a larger network connecting to the proposed development at 16860 and 16920 Leslie St.
The company initially made the application in 2020. The site once contained Innova Academy, a private Christian school.
Council will still need to confirm the approval at its next meeting. There is also a holding provision for the project to await servicing allocation, and a site plan process to follow.
