922 Millwood Rd. has sat…and sat…and sat but new plans have recently been submitted for the vacant (and possibly contaminated) former Stanley Cleaners site at the northeast corner of Millwood and Randolph. Proposed now is an eight-storey building with 60 units, double the count of the earlier 30-unit (five-storey) plan.
Bigger yes, but better? Ummm, I don’t think so.
Residents’ concerns with the earlier application will likely be amplified with this new larger one, especially its lack of conformity with the relevant Neighbourhoods policy and its fit with the prevailing character of the neighbourhood in terms of height, massing and design. The application’s planning rationale attempts to orient the building to a Laird Drive context rather than its actual (Millwood Road) context.
The nearby apartment buildings are no more than four storeys, with one exception – Leaside Gate with five storeys (which precedes the current Official Plan). While seven- to eight-storey buildings (mid-rise) have been approved in Leaside, they are located on Bayview, Laird, and other main street locations, not on an interior street such as Millwood Road. Any height above four storeys requires careful review to determine any negative impact on the adjacent streets and houses.
In terms of design, the original proposal for a five-storey building at this location incorporated significant step-down, in particular on the side facing east towards the houses across Krawchuk Lane. No such stepping is proposed for the boxy revised eight-storey building. And the drawings present a blind south wall above the fourth floor right up against the existing four-storey building (928 Millwood).
“The application has been declared “complete”, and a virtual community consultation is planned for December 10 from 6:30pm – 8:30pm.”
