Development Concern — what’s it all about?
I am a cardiologist with my medical offices located at 300 Plains Road E.
The proposed development at 284 Plains Road E is a matter of personal concern to me. The current design plans to place the driveway adjacent to another at 300 Plains Road E. This close proximity will make entering and exiting more difficult and potentially hazardous due to increased traffic congestion.
Moreover, this design violates bylaws for independent health facilities which mandate sufficient distance between driveways for safety reasons. It also brings the driveway closer to the nearest major intersection, increasing risks associated with high-speed traffic.
It’s crucial that we consider safety in our community planning decisions. According to Transport Canada, in 2019 there were over 153,000 motor vehicle collisions resulting in injury or death across Canada (source: Transport Canada). We cannot afford to ignore these statistics when designing our neighbourhoods.
We urge city planners and decision-makers involved in this project to alter the proposed development design so that its driveway is centrally located instead of being adjacent to another one. This simple change can significantly reduce potential hazards and ensure compliance with local bylaws.
The application contemplates a 7-storey apartment building with a total of 141 residential units, 153 parking spaces (100 underground parking spaces and 53 surface parking spaces) and 71 bicycle parking spaces. The total proposed gross building floor area is 12,318 m2 and the overall building height is 21.0 metres (including mechanical penthouse). Ground floor and rooftop amenity areas are also proposed.
The following are excerpted from the proposal’s Supporting Documents.
Auto Turn Diagrams
[The full set of diagrams are downloadable from here.]
This image shows the position of the driveway relative to the building and Plains Road East.
Diagram number 1 of 6
Architectural Renderings and Digital 3D Model
[The full set of renderings are downloadable from here.]
These images show the close proximity of the two driveways, marked “284” and “300”.
Rendering number 10 of 13, with driveways marked
Rendering number 12 of 13, with driveways marked