Collingwood council gave its final approval to a site plan application for the development of the former Victoria School property and existing annex building.
Without any further discussion, most of which took place at a May 15 committee meeting, council voted in favour of executing a subdivision agreement for the property at 400 Maple Street.
The Victoria Annex project by Georgian Communities will see 17 residential units built on the site surrounding the existing annex, and the annex itself converted into two semi-detached units while maintaining many of the building’s exterior heritage features.
The Victoria Annex and the property it stands on were designated as protected heritage property under the Ontario Heritage Act by the town in 2019.
Georgian Communities, an arm of Simcoe County developer Georgian International, purchased the property from Vogel Construction in 2019.
The developer is proposing building four single-detached dwellings, ten semi-detached units, and three townhouse units surrounding the annex. A coach house with integrated covered vehicle parking and three apartments will also be built to the south of the annex.
The Victoria Annex building itself will be converted into a semi-detached dwelling, housing two units and a detached garage next to it.
There was a public meeting about the development on Jan. 25, 2021 and the town has received five proposal submissions before reaching the subdivision agreement approved by council on June 5. The town has already granted the development exemptions under the water/wastewater interim control bylaw for 18 single-dwelling units worth of water services for the property.
The entire plan includes an access road off Maple Street that will provide views of the heritage building from the street.
As part of the work to prepare the site, eight mature trees were removed, however the developer has agreed to plant 13 deciduous trees to replace them.
- With files from Jessica Owen
