A public meeting on a 10-story condominium proposed for the green space behind the Anglican Parish Hall on Queen’s Road drew a huge turnout last night.
The property in question includes the old Anglican Parish Hall, which is currently vacant, and a treed green space behind the building. The city is considering rezoning the property to commercial mixed to accommodate the proposed development.
The developer is proposing two buildings for the site; one a ten story structure that would extend four stories above Military Road, and a smaller building to replace the parish hall.
Josh Smee, a past board member of Happy City St. John’s, lives in the neighbourhood and attended last night’s meeting.
Neighbours have long expected the parish hall to be developed, and they would ideally like to see affordable housing in the area now occupied by the Parish Hall. Smee says for most people the concern is about the loss of green space, considered the last naturalized part of the city.
Children play there, people walk their dogs in the area, and some people even tap the mature maples on the site.
He says there was a great deal of feedback from the public on the proposed development.
He says if the developer was listening, they can use the feedback to make changes to the development and get more support.