Council Connects - September 13, 2022

This update will serve to connect residents to important discussions and decisions being made by Cambridge City Council. The Mayor and Council make up the local government for the City of Cambridge. They develop laws and policies, which the City's administration implement.

Improving traffic issues in school zones

Council approved a proposal for a school bus loading zone to be implemented on Osborne Street along the frontage of St. Gregory Catholic Elementary School. On-street parking on Dando Avenue is also to be modified to support a morning student drop-off period and a U-turn prohibition is to be implemented on Saginaw Parkway in front of Saginaw Public School. These changes are a result of requests for school traffic control modifications from Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region and area schools. 

The outcome of Council’s decisions are intended to address school related traffic issues while creating a safe and efficient transportation network for all users

436 Fountain St. to become part of the Heritage Register

Council approved listing the property at 436 Fountain St. as part of the Heritage Register. Following input from the public, Council addressed the comments and requested that a Heritage Impact Assessment be done on the home, which is part of a low-rise redevelopment at the rear of the property. 

The assessment found the existing home has architectural significance as a modest two storey farmhouse, even if it has been altered with modern materials. The home also has historical association with the Wismer family, a long-standing farming family in Preston.

Mix housing options to be part of Barrie Lane plan

Council approved the construction of 2 semi-detached dwellings with each dwelling consisting of 2 units.  The proposed development will contribute to the City’s objective of providing for a range and mix of housing options and is a form of intensification that is encouraged within the Built-Up Area. The City’s Official Plan targets a minimum of 45 percent of all residential development to occur within the Built-Up Area. 

The proposed development of the subject lands will transform a currently vacant parcel of land into liveable, attainable residential units in walkable distances from commercial, institutional and recreational amenities.

Increase in issuance of permits for additional residential units (ARU’s)

Council received an update about Building Division Statistics that shows an increase in the issuance of permits for additional residential units (ARUs) due to the zoning by-law amendment enacted at the end of June.  ARUs are one way of gently increasing density within existing neighbourhoods, and provide an option for homeowners to help with added rental income, provide an alternative for older adults to age in place and also contribute to adding affordable rental housing supply. 

The construction value of permits issued between January 1 and June 30 is $209,565,113 compared to $286,650,391 in 2021 and the average of $184,036,056 in the same time frame between 2017-2021. This equates to a 13.9% increase in construction value over the previous five-year average.

Increased construction activity is expected as parts of Cambridge are identified as an Urban Growth Centre by Ontario’s Places to Grow and the Regional Official plan. As the City plans for an additional 65,000 people living in our community over the next 30 years, construction related to housing and employment is on the rise, bringing more people to Cambridge to live, work and play.