Opposition to Brookside project seems unanimous
File photo.
By Cecilia Nasmith
In 28 pieces of correspondence and addresses by 10 in-person presenters, no support was expressed at Wednesday's four-hour Public Planning Meeting on development plans for the former site of the Brookside Youth Centre, 390 King St. E. in Cobourg.
Details were provided by Brandon Simon of The Planning Partnership on plans for the property's 30 acres to contain 26 semi-detached dwellings, 106 street townhouse dwellings, 138 stacked townhouse dwellings and 700 apartments in four buildings (of eight, 12, 14 and 16 storeys), as well as 5,000 sq. m. of commercial space (including a grocery store) at the property's southwest corner – the junction of King Street East and Cottesmore Avenue, across the street from Cobourg Collegiate Institute.
This was acknowledged as a traffic challenge, especially during peak arrival and departure times. Recommendations include right-turn lanes at D'Arcy Street and Brook Road North, plus a new traffic signal at Cottesmore and King.
In spite of the 970 units, Simon considered this “very modest density for a site of this size.”
Based on accepted formulae, he estimates a population of 1,800 to 2,000 could move into the development – but said it will be a multi-phase situation.
“It's not all going to happen at once,” he added mentioning “massive planning to try to minimize those impacts.”
Applicant Highland Hills (Cobourg) Inc. is requesting release from current height restrictions to permit residential development on a site where three heritage structures cannot be removed – Strathmore House, Cottesmore Stables and Winch Cottage.
Simon spoke of a public park along King Street that would usher the public into Strathmore for the first time – as he put it, “a welcome mat into Strathmore Hall from King Street.”
As for the other two heritage structures, only vague comments were offered.
“It doesn't always involve saving the entire building. There are a lot of options we consider as creatively and feasibly as we can,” Manager of Development Review Vanessa Hicks said.
The meeting was for consultation only (Councillor Brian Darling estimated it might be a year or two before final decisions are made), and councillors were first to get the chance to comment.
The height of the apartment buildings concerned Deputy Mayor Nicole Beatty.
“You are asking us to reframe and reshape what Cobourg looks like,” Beatty commented.
Given the heritage and natural constraints, Simon responded, “developers needed to appeal to a broad market segment to make this work.
“It's not a cheap exercise to develop a project of this scale.”
Councillor Miriam Mutton offered the restrained comment that plans for the commercial corner of the property are “not beautiful. That strip-mall development, that's 1970s, 1980s.”
Ken Forsyth's letter (read aloud by staff) pointed out that historic Strathmore is “bracketed to the east by a 14-storey apartment tower and on the west by a 12-storey tower, with linked towers of eight and 16 storeys just west of the proposed entrance road.” This will not only dwarf the historic house but put it into shadow much of the day, and making it visible only along a brief stretch of King Street East.
Jennifer Darrell spoke out to agree, adding her own safety concern. In spite of the great growth in population in recent years, there is still only one fire station. And Darrell wondered if it has sufficient equipment, training and staff for 900+ more residences, and the greatly increased height of several of the buildings.
Local historian Robert Mikel is disturbed by the commitment to retain Strathmore, but lack of commitment to the other two, providing a tutorial on the history and significance of the structures.
“So many pressures on roads, schools, fire protection – you have to change the way you fight fires,” he said, noting that specialized training and equipment may be required
“It will diminish the whole character of King Street. No one I've every spoken to wants a development this dense,” Mikel stated.
Maria Drangova pointed out that 2,000 new residents means a 10% population growth. On this property, it works out to 174 people per hectare – compared to 34-44 per hectare in what is currently the town's most densely developed areas. She added that there's been no analysis of whether the town can handle such a scale of growth.
And those towers would make Cobourg the only town with a high rise within a radius of 100 km.
The town's lack of transit infrastructure means they'll all probably need a car. Drangova concluded, and parking hasn't been really addressed in the plans.
“The idea that there's a need for that type of density on 30 acres is a fallacy,” Max LeMarchant declared.
“This is not the way I think people want Cobourg to be planned and built.”
People have invested in this community, LeMarchant stated.
“This is their lives, their homes, and this is hugely important to them. There's going to be a lot of very, very, very unhappy people, and they have a right to be unhappy.”
A woman who owns a designated home on Cottesmore Avenue showed pictures of the 200-year-old trees at the corner that will have to be felled to accommodate the new businesses.
At the rate Cobourg is growing, she said, only about 84 new dwellings a year are required. And the median age of a Cobourg resident is 54.
“We are a retirement community, and we need to recognize that's one of our strengths,” she stated, calling for single-level units that adapt to owners as they age.
The alternative, other speakers pointed out, may be units that sit empty, as is happening in Toronto and Vancouver condo projects.
Mayor Lucas Cleveland left the meeting just before the final speaker, after which Beatty assumed the chair and opened the floor to final comments by councillors.
Darling thanked the presenters but said flatly, “I am not in favour of it.”
Mutton urged protections for the three heritage buildings on site, saying she'd heard disturbing rumours of their condition slowly degrading.
Beatty fears the plans as they stand could “completely rewrite the flavour and character of our community.”
