Zoning by-law amendment approved subject to stepback, setback, and access modifications to protect adjacent school.
The Upper Grand District School Board appealed a site-specific Zoning By-law Amendment passed by the City of Guelph that would permit a four-storey mixed-use development adjacent to Central Public School.
The School Board argued the development would cause unacceptable shadow impacts on the schoolyard and rooftop solar panels, interfere with views of the historic Catholic Hill, and create traffic safety issues near the student drop-off area.
The Tribunal found that the proposed height and massing without sufficient stepbacks would cause unacceptable adverse shadowing and cooling impacts on the school, and that access from Dublin Street North would cause traffic safety issues.
However, the Tribunal found no unacceptable adverse impacts on cultural heritage.
The Tribunal allowed the appeal in part, approving the Zoning By-law Amendment in principle subject to modifications requiring a maximum geodetic height of 361m, 3m stepbacks from the third storey up, a 4.5m side yard setback adjacent to the school, and restricting vehicular access and loading to Cork Street West.
