The look and feel of the west end of Centre Street appears set for a significant transformation.
An application has been submitted to the city for a zoning bylaw amendment to permit the development of two townhouse blocks and one block of stacked townhouses, containing a total of 24 dwellings on the north side of Centre Street, between King and Church streets.
This is immediately east of the entrance to the St. Thomas Elevated Park, and the land is now used as informal parking by visitors to the park.
A public meeting was held on March 9, where concerns were raised regarding density, parking for the St. Thomas Elevated Park, parking for residents, loss of privacy, disruptions to electricity and water supply, traffic, property values, impact on quality of life, heritage conservation, lack of green space, reconstruction of Centre Street, maintenance of Centre Street, height, and parking access for properties to the north.
The land is owned by Matt Janes, who is affiliated with the St. Thomas Elevated Park through its ownership by On Track, a non-profit organization.
A report is on Monday’s (April 20) agenda recommending that council approve the townhouse development.
The report advises, “Provided recommended holding provisions for heritage preservation and environmental remediation are included in the bylaw, staff are satisfied that the proposal has regard to matters of provincial interest, is consistent with the relevant policies of the Provincial Planning Statement, 2024, conforms to the City of St. Thomas Official Plan, and is sound land use planning.
“Staff are of the opinion that the requested amendment provides a positive example of residential intensification of an underutilized, brownfield site, and appreciate the efforts the proponent has made to redevelop the site in a consolidated manner and remove driveways from Centre Street.”
Written by Ian McCallum
