489 Upper Queen St - 11 unit townhouse

jammer139 · #1 Posted **Sep 7, 2022, 8:17 PM**

Nice 11 unit 2.5s townhouse infill proposal for Upper Queen St just south of Commissioners.

Planning Application

https://london.ca/sites/default/files/20...20-%20489%20Upper%20Queen%20Street_0.pdf

site plan design brief report

https://london.ca/sites/default/files/2022-09/PLANNI~1.PDF

CanadianTalk · #2 Posted **Jan 25, 2023, 5:32 PM**

Planning staff recommends that Council should approve the zoning change. Goes to planning committee on January 30th.

https://pub-london.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=96751

The NIMBYism is strong with this one.

Over half the staff report is just neighbourhood opposition. I will note that the proposed townhouse development will have just 10 units, and a height of 2 stories, which is the same height as the single family house that has been on the property for decades (only recently demolished).

Spoofy · #3 Posted **Jan 26, 2023, 4:12 AM**

.

jammer139 · #4 Posted **Jan 30, 2023, 2:16 PM**

LFP article on the zoning application.

NIMBYism in this case is pure Classism. Can't have neighbours of a different Social-Economic class living near us. That's just not right in their minds.

City staff received 71 comments about the project during the public consultation. Critics of the proposal, in various letters sent to city hall, called the townhouse development “unfathomable and preposterous” and “against the conformity of an upscale and desirable neighbourhood.”

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/a-mu...sed-an-upscale-neighbourhood-pushes-back

CanadianTalk · #5 Posted **Jan 30, 2023, 11:39 PM**

I tuned into the planning stream awhile ago, and they were still talking about this property. It looks like there were about 2 hours worth of NIMBY comments just for this item alone. Planning committee approved this at just 3-2 (Lewis, Hopkins, Franke in favour and Lehman, Hillier opposed).

Will definitely be an interesting discussion at the February 14th council meeting.

jammer139 · #6 Posted **Jan 31, 2023, 4:58 PM**

Public meeting gets even weirder.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/poli...ormed-officer-addresses-city-hall-debate

manny_santos · #7 Posted **Jan 31, 2023, 5:14 PM**

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/desp...-unit-infill-project-clears-first-hurdle

Glad to see the Planning Committee approved it.

Quote:

Critics also see the potential rezoning as a warning to other London homeowners, who could see similar high-density infill projects crop up in subdivisions filled with single detached homes.

Good! I'm glad London is finally getting a backbone to address the housing crisis.

jammer139 · #8 Posted **Feb 6, 2023, 1:15 PM**

Decision by council at upcoming Feb 14th meeting will set the tone for this council's believe in the London Plan and their own rhetoric on building housing. Which way will they vote? Alot of people will be watching closely. No doubt whichever way it goes there will be an OLT appeal delaying things for the typical 12-18 months it seems to take for the OLT to go thru their processes.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/upsc...acid-test-for-city-council-urban-planner

CanadianTalk · #9 Posted **Feb 6, 2023, 4:16 PM**

I'm also very interested to see what happens at the Feb 14 council meeting, as I do agree it could set the tone for the next 4 years regarding infill and new apartment buildings in the city.

Considering that this is a new council where over half the members are new, they will get to vote at the Feb 14 meeting on approving this townhouse proposal, in addition to a 6s apartment building on Commissioners west of Wonderland. Both projects have had very very loud NIMBY opposition, and no doubt members of council are receiving angry emails/calls after the planning committee's vote to approve both projects.

If the new council votes down these townhouses specifically due to NIMBYism (or even if it passes on a tight vote, like the planning committee's 3-2 vote to approve last week), then it does not send a good message that council is serious about getting lots of housing built to help our housing crisis, in my opinion, especially since this is a very gentle infill project - two stories, 10 units. You hear NIMBYism for almost every infill project, so then what would happen to the taller proposals planned throughout the city?

CanadianTalk · #10 Posted **Feb 14, 2023, 9:03 PM**

Happy to say that council voted 11-4 to approve this development.

Opposed: Peloza (ward councillor), Van Meerbergen, Hillier, Lehman

CanadianTalk · #11 Posted **Apr 29, 2023, 3:33 AM**

Neighbours in the area are appealing Council's decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal

https://london.ctvnews.ca/neighbours-app...utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

Just a reminder that we are talking about just 10 units of townhouses, with a height of only 2 stories, just like the height of many of the houses in the area.

I have no doubt that the OLT will rule in favour of the City/developer (as it does fit within the parameters of the OLT approved London Plan), but it's extremely frustrating now knowing that this project will be delayed for a bit, and for what?

I will never understand NIMBYism. I have a 6s apartment building currently under construction near me (that I will see from my backyard once finished), as well as 2 stacked townhouse proposals (3 and 4 stories), and I say bring them on. I watched the planning stream for this Upper Queen infill in February and the one thing that I remember is that almost all the people that spoke out against this were older people. There was just one neighbour that spoke in favour and he was definitely the youngest person there. These neighbours that complained about a gentle infill probably have zero clue how hard it is for younger people to buy their first homes. We are in a housing crisis and need thousands of homes (heck City Council pledged 47K homes by 2030). We need new homes of all kind, and yes that means intensification in existing neighbourhoods. I could go on and on about NIMBYism, but I think I'd be preaching to the choir here on SkyscraperPage forum lol.

jammer139 · #12 Posted **Apr 29, 2023, 1:07 PM**

+100 regarding NIMBY's

Hopefully the new More Homes Built Faster Bill 23 will make improvements to the Policies and Procedures the OLT operates on going forward. It's insane that an appeal can take 12-18 months to work its way thru the OLT process. The number of discovery hearings, pre-hearing meetings, that are scheduled an often cancelled to be rescheduled over and over again is insane. The OLT needs to streamline their process and expedite these appeals so they are ruled on within 6 months at the longest. There is an element of gaming the system to drag out the appeal process as long as possible which needs to be eliminated. They also need to toss out appeals at the application stage when they are clearly NIMBY talking points and against provincial planning policy. This would shorten the backlog queue considerably and allow the OLT to hear legitimate appeals much quicker.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanadianTalk

Neighbours in the area are appealing Council's decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal

https://london.ctvnews.ca/neighbours-app...utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

Just a reminder that we are talking about just 10 units of townhouses, with a height of only 2 stories, just like the height of many of the houses in the area.

I have no doubt that the OLT will rule in favour of the City/developer (as it does fit within the parameters of the OLT approved London Plan), but it's extremely frustrating now knowing that this project will be delayed for a bit, and for what?

I will never understand NIMBYism. I have a 6s apartment building currently under construction near me (that I will see from my backyard once finished), as well as 2 stacked townhouse proposals (3 and 4 stories), and I say bring them on. I watched the planning stream for this Upper Queen infill and the one thing that I remember is the almost all the people that spoke out against this were older. There was just one person that spoke in favour and he was definitely the youngest one. These neighbours that complained about a gentle infill probably have zero clue how hard it is for younger people to buy their first homes. We are in a housing crisis and need thousands of homes (heck City Council pledged 47K homes by 2030). We need new homes of all kind, and yes that means intensification in existing neighbourhoods. I could go on and on about NIMBYism, but I think I'd be preaching to the choir here on SkyscraperPage forum lol.

ssiguy · #13 Posted **Apr 29, 2023, 6:06 PM**

This stupid appeal is what slows down housing construction and has helped to lead to the situation we have nationwide. Such small developments like this should not be allowed to be appealed.

jammer139 · #14 Posted **Oct 2, 2023, 7:09 PM**

OLT Hearing coming up soon on the appeal.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/neighbours-appeal-of-townhome-intensification-project-nears

jammer139 · #15 Posted **Nov 2, 2023, 12:56 PM**

OLT appeal was dropped.

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/mult...roject-a-go-after-neighbours-drop-appeal

Sadly delayed the project by 8 months and added additional costs to developers and for tax payers due to wasting time of the OLT on their stupid appeal.

jammer139 · #16 Posted **Feb 16, 2026, 6:41 PM**

Excavator has been working the site for the foundation.

jammer139 · #17 Posted **Feb 24, 2026, 7:50 PM**

Foundation pour happening today with concrete pump truck working the west side of the lot.

jammer139 · #18 Posted **Apr 3, 2026, 7:05 PM**

They have now started framing the 2nd floor walls of the west side townhouse block and have nearly finished pouring the L1 foundation walls of the east side townhouse block.

jammer139 · #19 Posted **May 6, 2026, 12:09 PM**

The west side 2s townhouse is now framed and windows are installed. Wrapping up the 3s east side townhouse framing now.

jammer139 · #20 Posted **May 30, 2026, 12:19 AM**

Framing is now complete for both the 2s and 3s townhouse blocks. Exterior finishing and interior work underway.