Case 21946 - Southgate Drive, Bedford Hwy & Glenmont Ave, Bedford

Request

WSP Canada Inc. has applied for amendments to the Bedford Municipal Planning Strategy and Bedford Land Use By-law to redistribute existing development rights and allow for development agreements on Site BH-1, which would enable a five storey residential multiple-unit development, and Site BH-2, which would enable a one storey commercial building and single family dwellings, on lands located at the corners of Southgate Drive and the Bedford Highway, Bedford.

Proposal

The applicant is requesting a development agreement for PID 41119496, which lands are located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Bedford Highway and Southgate Drive identified as Site BH-1, to permit a 5 storey multiple unit building.  The proposal also requests to amend an existing development agreement on PIDs 00360560, 00430025, 00430017, 00429977, and 00430058, lands along Bedford Highway between Southgate Drive and Glenmont Avenue identified as Site Lot BH-2.

Revised Proposal
WSP Canada has submitted a revised application for the above properties in response to comments received during the team review. The major change to the application is the withdrawal of the townhouse portion of the request (30 townhouse units accessed from Bedford Highway proposed to be located on Lot BH-2) to be replaced by four (4) single unit detached dwellings that face onto the Bedford Highway but are accessed from Glenmont Avenue and a one storey 16,000 square feet commercial building accessed from Bedford Highway.  

Following the June 2019 PIM further revisions to the development request were made. The application proposes to redistribute the existing density over both sites to allow the requested uses. Under the Bedford South Secondary Municipal Planning Strategy, site BH-1 has a total density of 42 persons and site BH-2 has a total density of 228 persons. Reallocating the overall density between the two sites requires MPS amendments to add residential uses to the permitted uses and increase density on site BH-1; and transfer density from site BH-2 to BH-1 to ensure no additional density beyond what the existing Agreement allows.  All other aspects of the original proposal remain as follows:

•    A 5 storey, 73 unit multiple unit building atop a parking podium is proposed to be located on Lot BH-1;
•    The multiple unit building proposes 101 underground parking stalls;
•    Access to underground parking of multiple unit building located at street level in side slope along Southgate Drive;
•    Four single detached unit (accessed from Glenmont Avenue) proposed to be located on Lot BH-2;
•    A one storey, 16,000 square feet commercial building accessed from Bedford Highway;
•    Watercourse buffering as per LUB requirements.

The Development Plans (provided below) outline the development proposal in detail, and include information related to proposed site development, proposed building design, traffic impact statement and preliminary servicing schematics.

Process

This application is being considered under the municipal planning strategy amendment process. This process will include a public consultation (public information meeting) and a public hearing.

Status

The application by WSP Canada is complete and the preliminary review of the proposal has been carried out and preliminary comments provided to the applicant.

The next step in the process was a public information meeting (PIM) to gather input from the surrounding community and  it was held on Wednesday, June 12, 2019.  

Regional Council began the MPS amendment process at its meeting January 29, 2020 following consideration of an initiation report submitted by staff. This means that Council is willing to consider the proposal following staff review and public consultation, but no decision on the proposal has been made.

A second Public Information Meeting was held as the revised application changed in regards to the MPS amendment request.  The application was otherwise not revised or modified since the initial PIM.

A virtual call-in public information meeting was hosted by the North West Planning Advisory Committee on Wednesday, January 20, 2021. View the minutes from this meeting.  

Municipal planning staff and the applicant  prepared a presentation document to assist in following the meeting. View the presentation. 

Feedback from the public, on the proposal, will be collected up until February 3, 2021. 

Following the public information meeting, the proposal will be reviewed in detail by staff, who will prepare a recommendation report. The staff report will be considered by North West Community Council, who will make a recommendation to Regional Council for a decision. Before any consideration to approve this matter, Regional Council must hold a public hearing. A public hearing provides an additional opportunity for public comment. Public hearings are a formal process and the procedures for the meetings are found in Administrative Order One.

Documents Submitted for Evaluation

The applicant has submitted plans and studies required by municipal staff to properly evaluate the application. The relevant documents are linked below but may also be alternatively provided either by email or regular mail by making this request to the planner listed below.

Application Letter
Lot BH-1 – Site Plan
Lot BH-1 – Building Drawings
Lot BH-1 – Servicing Schematics
Traffic Impact Statement
Sanitary Capacity Analysis

Revised Submission Part One - April 23, 2019
Revised Submission Part Two - April 23, 209

Public Information Meeting Notes, June 12, 2019
Public Information Meeting Presentation, June 12, 2019