A recent rezoning decision has Dalhousie residents worried that their residential neighbourhood may be turning into a hub for new businesses and excessive commercialization.
The rezoning of 346 Bronson Ave. was approved at a meeting of the city’s planning committee on Jan. 11. The property has housed a family medical clinic for the past five years – in contravention of existing bylaws – and the realization of the need to rezone the location only arose after a fire in late 2009.
Due to the nature of the service, this specific rezoning is regarded as a positive for the Dalhousie neighbourhood.
The rezoning does, however, represent a worrisome trend within the area: the transformation of residential properties into businesses.
It’s a pattern that Eric Darwin, president of the Dalhousie Community Association, says amounts to creeping commercialization.
These concerns were also addressed by the DCA back in November after 73 Aberdeen St. was rezoned into an art gallery.
Like the Aberdeen Street gallery, if a developer purchased the Bronson Avenue location, the current building could be demolished and turned into commercial properties, says Darwin. It was for this reason, he says, that the association requested the planning committee limit the size of the office rezone as a precautionary measure.
These measures are part of what Darwin says is an attempt to preserve the attractive residential status of the neighbourhood by keeping businesses off the smaller, quiet streets.
“People are less tempted to maintain their properties when the neighbouring lot becomes a commercial space and they suddenly have a parking lot and a dumpster in their backyard,” he said.
Another member of the DCA, and Centretown resident David Seaborn, agrees.
“It makes the neighbourhood less liveable with the excess noise that businesses bring,” he says.
While Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes’ office acknowledges the concerns of this trend, they say the city will judge each requested rezoning on a case-to-case basis based on its impact on the community, says Holmes’ council assistant Robert Smythe.
There is, however, a matter concerning money, says Smythe. One of the issues that has been raised is the major cost difference between residential and commercial property in the area, he adds.
“We don’t want to encourage people to buy cheaper residential properties and then turn them into commercial properties,” says Smythe. He added that houses on smaller streets are far less expensive, meaning that business owners can save a quick dollar by renovating the residences into businesses.
While the expansion of businesses into the Dalhousie area will likely not slow, there is one way that the businesses and the community can compromise, Darwin says.
His idea is that a series of mixed-space properties containing both residential living spaces with commercial businesses could be the ideal solution to preventing the poorly done ad hoc conversion of homes into shop fronts. Such mixed-use buildings are popping up regularly these days in infill condominium developments throughout downtown Ottawa.
These multi-use condominiums are the types of properties that Darwin has in mind.
“When these condo developers come in, we encourage them to have commercial space on the ground floor, that way all the things needed for a business are already planned in,” he says.
When the owners of 346 Bronson Ave. were contacted for a comment, they said they weren’t concerned with the rezoning, since the property had already been office space for the past several years.
While the Bronson property is now properly zoned for business, the majority of the buildings surrounding the lot are still residential, preventing any drastic commercialization from occurring in the area – for now.
Regardless of the decisions made by the city’s planning committee, Darwin said he expects the DCA will be dealing with the balance between residential and commercial life for years to come.
“It’s an issue we dealt with 25 years ago, it’s something we’re dealing with now, and it’s an issue we’re definitely going to see more of in the future.”