A proposal to drastically transform a commercial plaza on the west end of Alliston with three high rises and 37 townhomes has raised concerns over traffic, parking and how it will be able to accommodate this amount of growth.
Liberty Development Corporation (LDC), the firm hired by the owner of the properties located between 124 and 146 Young Street has provided more details on the proposal that was made public earlier this year.
Simcoe.com states that the property owner has submitted a zoning-bylaw amendment for lands west of the Canadian Tire building that will include:
- Construction of a 12 storey mixed-use building
- An eight-storey residential building
- An eight-storey mixed-use building
- 37 three-storey townhomes
- Total of 696 residential units
- Ranging from one-to-three-bedroom units
- 799 new residential parking spaces
- 126 retail parking spaces
- A variety of indoor and outdoor spaces
- Retail use on ground level of the buildings
David Butterworth, director of architecture and engineering for LDC, said that when it comes to traffic congestion, there would be no impact from the development once fully built out. But some members of council are skeptical of this.
Ward 4 Coun. Fran Sainsbury drives along Young Street all the time and experiences long waits at the intersection of Industrial Parkway, which acts as the entrance to the plaza, due to all the trucks that use the bypass.
When asked about parking, Butterworth said each building would have its own underground parking garage, and the surface parking would be used for the retail units, along with visitors and some residents. The proposal currently includes 1.1 spaces per unit, but this is below the town's minimum standard of 1.75 spaces, which he described as "high."
Butterworth also couldn't say if the units will be condos, rental apartments or a mix of both, noting those decisions will come later and will depend on market demands.
The amendment application also seeks to add a retirement facility and nursing home to the permitted uses, but the company is only requesting it at this stage to ensure future flexibility.
The site would be developed in phases over several years and LDC would work with the town to figure out the timeline. However, none of the buildings at the property would be demolished until construction of the new buildings is ready to go. The property owner has long-term leases on some of the existing businesses.
