Downtown Newmarket residents battle to keep bungalows on Kathryn

An application by a local family to raze two bungalows and build three, two-storey houses draws ire from neighbours

Newmarkettoday.ca
Sept. 5, 2019
Kim Champion

A local family’s plan to raze two 1950s bungalows in Newmarket’s downtown and build three two-storey single-family homes in their place is being met with stiff opposition from neighbours.

Kathryn Crescent residents presented council with a petition at an Aug. 26 public meeting calling for the outright rejection of an application from the Kariminejad Nobari family to rezone properties it owns at 247 and 251 Kathryn to create three smaller lots so members of the family may build their own homes.

Speaking on behalf of applicant homeowners Siavash Kariminejad Nobari, Zahar Kariminejad Nobari and Faras Kariminejad Nobari, design and project management firm Sunrise Constrade co-founder Tolou Bahramian said one parcel of land is owned by the parents, and the other property is owned by their two children.

“His purpose is to sever (the two lots into three separate building lots) and build three houses so they can reside there, and his children can have one house each. That’s a cultural thing. He is not a builder, he is not looking to enter this project as a commercial project,” Bahramian said.

The Kariminejad Nobaris’ development proposal seeks to rezone its lands in the low-density residential neighbourhood, described as open and airy with near-typical 60-foot frontages, to accommodate smaller building lots of about 40 feet in width.

The proposed new homes of about 2,300-square-feet apiece will add an additional storey for the first time on the street, the extra height of which is allowable under the current zoning. Bungalow and side-split houses now line the long-established Kathryn Crescent, off Avenue Road near Lorne Avenue.

“The use of the land remains, the character and architecture of the community are respected and the only changes are going to be to the frontage and the coverage,” Bahramian said.

That development proposal was submitted before the town put in place a temporary one-year ban on so-called monster homes in January 2019 while it carries out a study to identify the unique character of Newmarket’s many neighbourhoods and develop planning policies that complement and are compatible with existing streetscapes.

In a deputation to council that was met with loud applause from the audience, 20-year-long Kathryn Crescent resident Jim Arlow implored local politicians to not “carve up” Newmarket’s neighbourhoods into smaller lots.

“This development is invasive, intrusive and does not fit into the neighbourhood,” Arlow said. “It will cram as much house as possible onto these lots and introduce two-storey homes that are currently non-existent.”

“Council has recognized that this type of infill development has been stirring controversy, so much so that they have placed a one-year freeze on infill development applications. Residents do not want intensification on their streets,” he said.

In a similar vein, local high school teacher Donna McKinnon, a 32-year Newmarket resident who has lived downtown for 12 years, said she is “very disturbed about the building that’s going on, not only in my neighbourhood, but what is going to happen in my backyard”.

“My privacy, basically, will be destroyed,” said McKinnon, whose home backs onto one of the properties. “I moved into the downtown area because the value of the homes are higher. My home, I believe, will be devalued with the proposed homes going into this area.”

“My neighbourhood esthetic is very important to me. The town put up a sign, Welcome to Historic Newmarket. As soon as you start to tamper with this historic Newmarket, you might as well take the sign down. If we’re just going to build a bunch of North York-looking homes, how is that at all historic?” she asked.

“Only build two dwellings and keep well within the height restrictions and setbacks to be open and airy and have that feeling we all love about downtown Newmarket,” McKinnon added. “The town, I hope, will halt this current proposal. At a minimum, only two houses should be built.”

Other area residents shared concerns about the building proposal that included compatibility with the existing neighbourhood, the preservation and maintenance of existing housing stock such as bungalows, the loss of affordable housing, the potential domino effect of lot severances, and the corrosion of the area’s distinct character.

“If we start changing the look of Newmarket, it’s going to be a totally different town,” said Patricia Hawke, who doesn’t live in the neighbourhood in question but attended the meeting in support of concerned Kathryn Crescent residents. “We need to preserve the look and feel of Newmarket."

For its part, town planning staff will consider all comments it receives on the development proposal, which has already been reviewed against all provincial, regional, and local planning policies and no major objections were noted.

The applicant has also done an environmental site assessment that showed no areas of concern, and a tree inventory report on both lots proposes to remove one of five trees, which is located in the front yard of 247 Kathryn to make room for a driveway at one of the proposed houses.

Mayor John Taylor said that everyone has a right under the planning act to put forward a proposal on their property, including the addition of a garage or a brand-new home, for example.

“Our job is to listen to that proposal, and public input is important,” he said. “Council has made no decision. I know every once in awhile you hear council has already decided and that’s just not true. Council has a very open mind and we want to understand this fully before any decisions are made.”

Town staff are expected to bring a final report back to council this fall with recommendations on the development application.

“Council will do its due diligence,” Taylor said. “I know all members of council will go by the street and have a look, and give this our greatest thought and read the information that staff provide and the residents provide.”

Regardless of council’s decision on the matter, there are appeal opportunities to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal, the town’s assistant planning director Jason Unger said.