City of Waterloo Council Summary November 6, 2023
** The council summary below provides a snapshot of the major items presented at Monday’s council meeting. The council meeting webcast is avaialble on the City of Waterloo YouTube page. Please refer to the minutes for an official record of the meeting.
Committee volunteers report on their work to help shape the City of Waterloo
Committee Night is an annual opportunity for Committees of Council to provide an overview of their activities from the previous year and what they plan for the year ahead. Dozens of volunteers gathered in Council Chambers to share their committee contributions to City work.
Advisory committees provide community feedback and informed opinions and recommendations about matters of policy and strategic initiatives that fall within their mandate. Members of the Waterloo Advisory Committee on Active Transportation, Sustainability Advisory Committee, Waterloo Economic Development Advisory Committee and Waterloo Park Advisory Committee shared updates on their work supporting City staff on the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, affordable housing, transportation and the vibrancy of our city. Future work for committees include assisting people who are new to cycling or under-represented as cyclists to ride and use our network; encouraging community-level Green Development Standards; supporting high quality of life to attract businesses and people to live and work here; and providing feedback on the future of the Eby Farm space in Waterloo Park.
Inter-agency committees are formed as partnerships between the City and other organizations to facilitate collaboration and joint efforts in areas of shared interest or responsibility. Town and Gown committee, with partners across the community and with local post-secondary institutions, shared the accomplishments of the Large Street Gathering and Student Accommodation Study working groups, with future work to come on student food security issues and international student support. Age-Friendly Waterloo shared their advocacy and collaboration on issues impacting older adults’ health and well-being, including housing, transportation, sidewalk snow clearing and aging in place. Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee, who consult and guide staff on accessibility initiatives, shared their ongoing work with the City on facility improvements, Waterloo Park, Housing and Inclusionary Zoning, and sidewalk snow clearing.
Council approves application for mixed-use development including 129 residential units
As part of the City’s commitment to advance housing, Council approved the application to adaptively convert the existing 1970s era office building at 180 King Street South (locally known as Allen Square) into a mixed-use building. The renovated ten-storey building will include 129 dwelling units (166 bedrooms in a mix of one, two and three bedroom units) and approximately 1,580 square metres of ground floor commercial space envisioned as restaurant or retail use. Final construction of the top floor may include two-storey dwelling units or a mezzanine that may result in the building being 11 storeys, provided the building height does not exceed 40 metres.
The development will also include 152 parking spaces and 112 bike parking spaces. This approval aligns with the City’s Complete Community strategic priority, advancing community vibrancy through strategic density, and the provincial Housing Pledge commitment to plan for 16,000 new residential units by 2031.
City of Waterloo reaffirms commitment to maintain the Countryside Line
In response to a letter from the provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing titled “Announcement Impacting Provincial Decisions on Municipal Official Plans/Official Plan Amendments”, Mayor McCabe brought forward a motion regarding the Region of Waterloo's Official Plan. The City of Waterloo will ask the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to bring back into effect the Regional Official Plan (ROP) amendment as approved by Region of Waterloo Council on August 18, 2022. Through this unanimously supported motion, City of Waterloo Council reaffirmed their commitment to smart growth, intensification and to maintain the Countryside Line, while also reaffirming the City’s pledge to build 16,000 housing units by 2031.
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Media contact:
Cari Van Niekerk
Director, Corporate Communications
cari.vanniekerk@waterloo.ca