Guelph council will write housing minister about official plan changes despite mayor's objection

Guelph councillors want the province to know they don't appreciate the changes it made to the city's official plan.

The mayor, however, doesn't really like that idea.

Coun. Leanne Caron brought a motion forward to the May 9 council meeting asking the mayor to write a letter to the province and others saying they were displeased with alterations made by Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark.

During a presentation by Melissa Aldunate, the city's manager of policy planning and urban design, councillors heard that some of the modifications were significant — including removing some references to the Basilica of Our Lady.

Guelph's official plan policy noted that the basilica "was a landmark and a signature building and those references have been deleted," Aldunate said.

In the Guelph Innovation District, the province "significantly reduced the area of employment designations ... to expand the residential land use designation area," she said.

Building heights were increased to 18 storeys along Victoria Road S. where before the limit was 10 storeys, while the minimum high of buildings on main street and commercial mixed use corridors was also changed from three to four storeys.

"It does have an impact on the form of development we were anticipating," Aldunate said.

On some specific sites in the city — on George Street, Willow Road and Clair Road W. — the minister also altered decisions of council. Properties were changed from either low density, medium density or industrial to high density residential. On Crawley Road, land set aside in the original official plan as natural areas were changed to industrial and the province said a road would be required in the area.

These decisions are "final and not appealable," Aldunate told council and said staff will now work to implement the changes over the next year.

Caron said she wanted to write to the province about the changes because "we expect some edits" but said what Clark did "was very different."

"These were far more than alignment amendments. These were fundamental, significant changes to the look and feel of our city," Caron said.

Caron argued the changes made by the province did not change how many housing units would be built in the city.

But Mayor Cam Guthrie said he felt that sending a letter to the province was not the right move as Clark's decision is final and Gutherie said he didn't want to cause intergovernmental issues.