Concerns about parking, density and green space prompted further review of the Craig Street development
A proposed 30-unit apartment building on Craig Street will require a significant redesign before it can move ahead in Perth.
Following a public meeting on June 9, Perth’s committee of the whole voted to defer a zoning bylaw amendment application for 53-55 Craig St., directing the developer to revise the proposal to address concerns raised by staff, residents and council before returning for another public meeting.
The project, submitted by 2B Developments, would see a three-storey, 30-unit apartment building constructed on the former site of Perth’s historic Red House. To accommodate the development on the property, the applicant requested a number of zoning exceptions, including reducing landscaped open space from 35 per cent to 23 per cent, lowering the required number of parking spaces from 45 to 30, eliminating visitor parking and reducing the number of accessible parking spaces.
While Director of Development Services Joanna Bowes acknowledged the proposal aligns with provincial and county objectives aimed at increasing housing supply, she told committee she believes the site is being developed too intensively.
“Typically when this many variances from zoning are requested, this is a good indication the property is being overdeveloped,” Bowes said.
Her report noted that when the project was first discussed with the town’s development support team, staff suggested a maximum of approximately 12 to 15 units for the property. The current proposal would result in a density of 161 units per hectare, exceeding Perth’s official plan definition of high-density residential development, which ranges from 60 to 100 units per hectare.
Staff also raised concerns about the reduction in green space, the absence of visitor parking, the decrease in accessible parking spaces and whether the scale of the building is compatible with the surrounding neighbourhood. While the proposal was found to conform with provincial and county planning policies, it was not considered consistent with Perth’s Official Plan.
Residents who addressed the committee echoed many of those concerns.
Peter Bissell, who owns property across from the site, urged council not to approve the project in its current form.
“This project is significantly in excess of what this property can reasonably support. I would encourage the developer to right-size this project and make it work for you and make it work for us,” Bissell said.
He argued that eliminating visitor parking and reducing tenant parking requirements would place additional pressure on the neighbourhood and could result in increased competition for limited on-street parking.
Developer Lindsay Blair said the company is willing to revisit the design and wants to continue working with the town to find an acceptable solution.
“We’re not here to force something through. We’re here to work with staff and council and come up with a project that works for everybody,” Blair said.
Several councillors said they support the need for additional housing but agreed the proposal requires further refinement.
Deputy Mayor Ed McPherson said he supports residential intensification but believes the development must better reflect the character of the neighbourhood and the limitations of the site before it proceeds.
Committee ultimately endorsed staff’s recommendation to defer the application until revised plans are submitted.
The decision does not reject the proposal outright. Instead, it gives the developer an opportunity to return with a revised design that addresses the concerns raised by staff, council and nearby residents.
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