Proposals for two healthcare-themed developments across the street from each other on Raglan Street and Poplar Sideroad are now both seeking support from council to apply to the province for minister’s zoning orders (MZO).
However, council is asking for staff to investigate how the two proposals will work together, as well as another adjacent proposed development to the north, before they’ll consider throwing their support behind anything.
“We’d like to design the whole edge, and not just piece by piece,” said Andrew Martschenko, project lead of Parataxis Development, who is overseeing The Collingwood Health and Learning Campus to be located on the west side of Raglan. “It’s not a matter of competing with each other, but rather, working together to a greater vision.”
An MZO is a controversial provincial tool to fast-track a change of zoning on a piece of land. In the case of both Poplar Sideroad proposals, the lands are currently set aside for industrial employment uses such as factories, warehouses, and offices. The developers both want them changed to mixed-use to allow commercial, education, recreation, residential, and health facilities to be built on the properties.
Most MZO requests, which are made by the developer, require a resolution of council in support of the project as part of the application.
The Collingwood Health and Learning Campus was first presented on May 5, 2020 to the development and operations standing committee, and is proposed for the west corner of Poplar Sideroad and Raglan Street. The developer representing the project participated in the Official Plan review, asking that their land be redesignated as part of that review.
The original proposal for the land included splitting it into four parcels: one deferred residential, one recreational, and two light industrial. The project was expected to be planned through a charette process, which would see public consultation being the main driver behind the design, and was expected to include commercial, light industrial, condominiums, single detached homes, townhomes and attainable housing on the site. In 2020, the developer was asking for a zoning bylaw amendment to allow for mixed-use development.
However, two years later, the developer is now looking to develop only one of the four parcels on the south-east corner of the property, which amounts to 24.6 acres.
Martschenko said his goal is to work together with the Poplar Village proponents. He noted that Parataxis’s ask of council is to pass a resolution supporting an MZO in principle similar to the resolution passed at the end of April for the Poplar Village project.
The Poplar Regional Health and Wellness Village is a new project that is being planned for 53 hectares of land surrounding Georgian College John Di Poce South Georgian Bay campus on the east side of Raglan Street and Poplar Sideroad.
The project proposal includes housing, a sports centre, healthcare services, eco-space, and research and innovation businesses. The developer is planning to see shovels in the ground in 2024/25.
For our full story on Live Work Learn Play Inc. plans for the land and an interview with their chief executive officer, click here.
During Monday’s meeting, Coun. Yvonne Hamlin put forward a motion with notice waived asking staff to look into the best way to approach the planning of three developments together – the Poplar Campus, Poplar Village and Eden Oak – addressing timelines and costs.
The Eden Oak development is a proposal for 256 single units and 120 multi-unit dwellings on Collingwood's south-east side off Portland Street between Hurontario and Raglan Street (near Poplar Sideroad). It is located to the north of the other two developments.
Coun. Mariane McLeod noted that the planning department is very busy dealing with the completion of the first draft of the Official Plan review, and asked how this should rank in regards to priorities. Chief administrative officer Sonya Skinner said that staff would first have to look to their schedules to determine when they could fit the endeavour in.
“So, we would be asking for a report on when we can find a report, or the capacity to put something together?” asked McLeod. Skinner said yes.
Coun. Kathy Jeffery spoke in support of Hamlin’s motion.
“I agree that we need a comprehensive approach,” said Jeffery. “If we’re going to go to the public with a robust engagement process, we need to be doing it with the bigger picture as opposed to doing it piece-meal.”
Coun. Deb Doherty noted that the conversation may be moot, as the campus developer had made the request to change the zoning as part of the Official Plan review and it may have already been changed as part of that process. The new draft Official Plan is expected to come before council in the next six weeks.
Coun. Yvonne Hamlin said that as part of the Poplar Village resolution, the developer (Live Work Learn Play Inc.) had agreed to do public consultation on the project prior to council consideration of an MZO.
“Were you intending to participate in that?” asked Hamlin. Martschenko said they would be participating.
Council voted 6-1 in favour of asking staff for a report on the matter, with Coun. Doherty opposed. Coun. Chris Carrier declared a conflict on the matter. The motion will need to be ratified at the next meeting of council before going into effect.
