Proposed condo development would ‘ruin’ a Mississauga neighbourhood: residents

A proposal for an 11-storey condo building sandwiched in a park area in Mississauga got some negative feedback this week.

The city hosted a meeting on Monday (Dec. 18) on a preliminary proposal to build an 11-storey condo building with 178 units at 900 Lakeshore Rd. W. The property, located next to Richard’s Memorial Park, is currently home to a single-detached house with a pool.

The 4,702-square-metre lot sits next to a ravine on a slopping site, said Kosta Derbish of KFA Architects and Planners during the public meeting. It is between Port Credit and Clarkson.

The property is currently under-utilized, said Kregg Fordyce, owner and president of KFA Architects and Planners.

“This type of building will bring more residents to important green spaces in Mississauga,” he said.

The area is mostly single-detached homes and this would be the first condo building.

Fordyce said the plans are for a “very high-quality architecturally-designed building,” which has a triangle shape with soft lines. The design uses two types of brick, colours common in the area.

Local residents could “age-in-place” in this building, he said. There would be a mix of unit types – studios up to three-bedroom units. They will work with city staff to determine the ratio of units.

Some of the upper floor units would have views of Lake Ontario.

There are also plans for 210 parking spaces in four underground levels.

The building would have a green roof and would be surrounded by greenery — trees removed for the build will be replaced, said Fordyce. There would be pathways to connect to multi-use paths to the park and Lake Ontario.

Residents raised concerns about the height, size and location of the building.

“Frankly, it’s a large, large building,” said Bill Johnston, president of the Lorne Park Estates Association.

Johnston also had concerns about mature trees being cut and the fact that the building didn’t fit with the area, which is next to parks.

“To plunk this in the middle of a park system, frankly, doesn’t work,” he said.

He had heard from many people who thought the building design wasn’t appropriate for the area.

The community understands that property owners have a right to build, he added.

“…but not at the expense of basically, sorry to say this, ruining a neighbourhood that has been well-established with single-family homes,” Johnston said.

There were also concerns about the environmental impact and the fact that the Brightwater development is close by. 

The current home at 900 Lakeshore Rd. W. Photo: Google Maps

But Johnston thanked city staff and Councillor Alvin Tedjo for sharing the information so early in the process giving residents a chance to learn more and comment.

The public meeting was held to inform residents about the owner’s plans for the property and get feedback from the community, said Paul Stewart, planner for City of Mississauga.

The owner would need an Official Plan and zoning bylaw amendment for the project to proceed. But there is no application yet for the proposal.

This is the early stages of the application and the will be other opportunities for the public to comment.

For more information and to view the video from the Dec. 18 meeting, see Coun. Tedjo’s website here.