Heritage Meadows (208 Hespeler Road)

[UrbanWaterloo]

Heritage Meadows (208 Hespeler Road)
Lenity Group Website (www.lenitygroup.com)

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Cambridge/208%20Hespeler%20Road/208%20Hespeler%20Road%20-%20March%207,%202012%20-%203c%20R.jpg

NOTICE OF COMPLETE APPLICATION and PUBLIC MEETING (http://www.cambridge.ca/relatedDocs/City%20of%20Cambridge%20Weekly%20Advertising%20Apr il%209.pdf)

Pursuant to the Planning Act, notice is hereby given that the City of Cambridge has received a “complete application” for the proposal described below. A Public Meeting, as required by the PlanningAct,will be held by the General Committee of Cambridge Council to provide information and receive comments fromthe public on the application outlined below.

DATE: May 3, 2010 TIME: 7:00 p.m. | PLACE: Council Chambers, (3rd Floor), Historic City Hall, 46 Dickson Street, Cambridge

The applicant is requesting amendments to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law for Part of Lot 3, Concession 12 EGR, known municipally as 208 Hespeler Road, to permit a 126 unit retirement lodge/domiciliary hostel as an additional use. The current Official Plan designation of the site is a Class 4 (Hespeler Road) Commercial District and the zoning classification is C4, both permitting a wide range of commercial uses requiring substantial off-street parking areas and directed at the travelling public. The applicant is requesting that the Official Plan and Zoning By-law be amended to permit the retirement lodge and domiciliary hostel as an additional use to the current permitted commercial uses. The proposed by-law amendment includes site-specific criteriato recognize a reduction in the number of required parking spaces and a reduced front yard setback for the retirement lodge.

Ward No. 4 | Contact Person: Yvette Rybensky | File No.: R10/10/YR | Telephone: 519.740.4650 ext. 4606

[Spokes]

A proposal with half of the required parking? Wow. That factor getting bashed by councillors, not so wow.

Seniors complex proposed along Hespeler Road
May 3, 2010 | Kevin Swayze | The Record


CAMBRIDGE — Waterloo Region’s altar to automobiles may become home to more than 100 people who don’t drive.

Lenity Group wants to build a 126-unit seniors complex along six-lane Hespeler Road at Can-Amera Parkway on a former gas station site.

The U.S-based company proposes a four-storey building on the one-hectare (2.4-acre) property with 61 parking spaces, not the 130 the city usually requires for a building with that many residents.

“You proposing less than half . . . what about visitors?” asked Coun. Ben Tucci.

He also worried about seniors trying to enter and exit the main driveway onto busy Hespeler Road.

Half a parking spot per unit is the standard Lenity uses across North America, Dan Roach, a company architect, told city councillors Monday.

“We’ve done 350 (projects) over the years . . . it’s worked quite well for us,” he said.

The average age of residents is 80, most are single and they don’t have cars, Roach said. As part of their monthly rent, the building offers around-the-clock shuttlebus service and on-site recreation and social actives.

The building will also be beside the YMCA, and may have a driveway connection to the north which would offer access to a stoplight at the Can-Amera and Hespeler intersection.

The project will generate little traffic and the main access to Hespeler Road is proposed to be a right-in, right-out only driveway, Roach said.

“This site really doesn’t give us any concern at all for our residents. We feel they’ll be quite safe.”

Lenity has 15 similar seniors projects complete or under construction in Ontario, city councillors were told. The nearest is in Burlington, Roach said.

They are built for active, healthy seniors who don’t need medical assistance and want an active, social lifestyle, Roach said.

All-inclusive monthly rents typically range from $2,500 for a bachelor unit to $3,500 for two bedrooms in other projects, he said. They don’t have kitchens, because all food is served in a common dining room. A small fridge and space for a microwave will be offered in each unit.

“Basically, everything but your telephone bill is being paid,” Roach said.

“The intention is to provide them with most of what they need.”

Nobody else spoke to councillors about the proposed rezoning during the public meeting. Councillors didn’t debate the project’s merits.

City staff will review the proposal and return to council with a recommendation in a couple of months.

[Urbanomicon]

Waterloo Region’s altar to automobiles

I'll have to remember that one. :)

[IEFBR14]

He also worried about seniors trying to enter and exit the main driveway onto busy Hespeler Road...

The average age of residents is 80, most are single and they don’t have cars, Roach said. As part of their monthly rent, the building offers around-the-clock shuttlebus service and on-site recreation and social actives...

They are built for active, healthy seniors who don’t need medical assistance and want an active, social lifestyle, Roach said.The best way for seniors to stay active is to walk. That's hardly practical or even safe at this location. How many people are going to take a shuttle bus to a park or mall in order to walk. It makes more sense to locate retirement homes closer to downtowns where amenities are available by foot or public transit.


All-inclusive monthly rents typically range from $2,500 for a bachelor unit to $3,500 for two bedrooms in other projects, he said. They don’t have kitchens, because all food is served in a common dining room. A small fridge and space for a microwave will be offered in each unit.This is typical for senior's homes in the region, so any cost savings don't appear to be passed on to the residents.

[Spokes]

Ya this would work if Hespler rd had been given a total makeover, but as is there are some definite flaws.

[DHLawrence]

You have to start somewhere. If you keep putting in developments based on the way Hespeler Road is now, nothing will get done--and then everyone here will complain that Cambridge city council isn't doing anything to urbanize the Hespeler Road strip. (Hmm, I think I'm on to something...)

[Spokes]

That's true. You do indeed need to start somewhere, and someone is willing to do so.

A couple of their projects. More can be found here - http://www.lenitygroup.com/projects.php#

http://www.lenitygroup.com/img/projects/CompletedProjects/bridgepark-proj.jpg

http://www.lenitygroup.com/img/projects/CompletedProjects/ashleypark_proj.jpg

http://www.lenitygroup.com/img/projects/CompletedProjects/palomalanding-proj.jpg

http://www.lenitygroup.com/img/projects/CompletedProjects/dogwood-proj.jpg


Very suburban looking. I don't get the impression it'd fit well here if they went with a similar design.

[DHLawrence]

I think it could work. Wellington Square looks nothing like the Royal Hotel or any of the other buildings in the Main and Wellington area, and it isn't a bad fit. The buildings there now are very eclectic (suburbia up Can-Amera way, Black Forest Condos, the Y, etc.) so it will fit the kind of variety that exists there. The multi-coloured buildings are unusual, sure, but they might be popular with the local Newfie population who are used to blocks of buildings that look like that.

For a good look at how they'll fit in, go to Plains Road in Burlington. There's a senior's development there that looks a lot like their style of construction. Not an enduring design, but it does get the job done.

[cambridge-city-boy]

I was driving down Hespler Rd and noticed that construction has begun! So excited to see the final product. :RpS_thumbsup:

[UrbanWaterloo]

October 30, 2010

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Cambridge/208%20Hespeler%20Road/208%20Hespeler%20Road,%20Cambridge%20-%20October%2030,%202010%20-%201%20Resized.jpg

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[UrbanWaterloo]

Nothing happened on this site all winter...

March 29, 2011

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[UrbanWaterloo]

Foundations are going in...

July 13, 2011

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Cambridge/208%20Hespeler%20Road/208%20Hespeler%20Road%20-%20July%2013,%202011%20-%201%20Resized.jpg

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[UrbanWaterloo]

Lots of progress here during the last two weeks...

July 25, 2011

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Cambridge/208%20Hespeler%20Road/208%20Hespeler%20Road%20-%20July%2025,%202011%20-%201%20Resized.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Cambridge/208%20Hespeler%20Road/208%20Hespeler%20Road%20-%20July%2025,%202011%20-%202%20Resized.jpg

[UrbanWaterloo]

September 24, 2011

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[UrbanWaterloo]

December 20, 2011

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http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Cambridge/208%20Hespeler%20Road/208%20Hespeler%20Road%20-%20December%2020,%202011%20-%203c%20R.jpg

[UrbanWaterloo]

March 7, 2012

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Cambridge/208%20Hespeler%20Road/208%20Hespeler%20Road%20-%20March%207,%202012%20-%201%20R.jpg

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[boatracer]

I hope the rooms on the south side have good blinds because the lights from the adjacent car dealer really light up that side at night.

[UrbanWaterloo]

The grand opening (http://www.seniorlivinginstyle.com/retirement_community/Cambridge_ON/zip_N1R_0A5/hawthorn_retirement_group/4816) is this month: September 30, 2012 from 11am - 4pm (ribbon cutting ceremony @ 1:30pm).


http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Cambridge/208%20Hespeler%20Road/Grand_Opening_Flyer-July2012.jpg


August 26, 2012

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Cambridge/208%20Hespeler%20Road/August%2026,%202012/201%20R.jpg

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