Residents oppose 703 unit development that would demolish a Mississauga plaza

Residents filled council chambers this week to oppose a large residential development in Mississauga.

Queenscorp is proposing a 703 residential-unit development with commercial space at 4099 Erin Mills Parkway.

The proposal came to the City of Mississauga Planning and Development committee meeting on Monday (May 29) night for information. No decisions are being made yet on the development.

The development would replace a retail plaza with an Iqbal Halal Foods grocery store — previously Michael-Angelo’s.

The plaza also has a Pizza Nova, a Baskin-Robbins, Cobs Bread, an I.D.A Pharmacy and other shops and services at the southeast corner of Erin Mills Parkway and Folkway Drive south of Highway 403, west of Sawmill Valley Drive.

Initially, the proposal included five condominium apartment buildings of 11, 8, 7, 7 and 6 storeys with commercial uses at grade for two of the buildings and seven blocks of stacked townhouses.

There would be one, two, two-bedroom plus den and three-bedroom units, said Glen Broll of Glen Schnarr and Associates Inc., on behalf of the developer. The townhouses would be two-bedroom units. Broll couldn’t give exact numbers for how many would be larger units but said there would be a mix of sizes.

Ward 8 Councillor Matt Mahoney held a community meeting on the project on March 3 and Broll said the developer was listening to concerns.

Opening up the corner at Folkway Drive and Sawmill Valley Drive to connect to Trapper’s Green Park was suggested but the developer wants to increase the height — to 15, 14, 10 and 10-storey buildings, said Broll to groans from the audience.

Residents packed into the council chambers for the Planning and Development Committee meeting on Monday (May 29).

Residents expressed concerns about an increase in density would mean to the neighbourhood including traffic, parking, driving safety and the character of the area.

“I know your group has said that the density is just a number, well it’s a really big number and just moving it around the site isn’t really what the community has been asking for,” Mahoney said.

Broll indicated the developer is willing to revise the plan.

The loss of the plaza is also a big concern.

Currently, there is 63,000 square feet of retail space in the plaza and the original proposal reduces the commercial space to 8,300 square feet. But Broll suggested another plan that could bring 15,000 square feet of retail space.

The plaza makes the community walkable and around 1,500 homes are within a 15-minute walk, said Laurie Cashmore of the Sawmill Valley Focus group, a 14-member organization consulting on the development.

“This is not an under-utilized retail space,” said Cashmore.

Cashmore noted the development could turn the community into a “stop walking and start driving community.”

She added that she understands the province’s goal to add more homes but residents don’t believe the development would bring much-needed affordable housing.

Resident Terry Chemij expressed concerns over the loss of green space and the “fortress-like” design of buildings closing off the space. The plan includes trees and landscaping but it is less nine per cent of the total property.

“Canada not only has an affordable housing crisis but we are also facing a climate change crisis,” Chemij said.

He added that the current proposal won’t provide needed family housing. Chemij suggested the developer resubmit the proposal considering environmental, social and housing challenges.

The full meeting and reports can be found here.