Traffic concerns on Wonderland overruled in favour of apartment tower
York Developments approved to build 219-unit tower on site of a Swiss Chalet restaurant
London councillors have approved a residential apartment tower in the city's northwest after a fiery debate about traffic congestion in an already busy area.
The 25-storey development, to be built at 735 Wonderland Rd. north of Oxford Street in an infill area next to the Costco, was supported by all but two council members Tuesday afternoon.
The decision was made after an hour of discussion around whether the area could handle more vehicles and people on a route that is not part of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) plan and is already a bottleneck at peak times.
The western leg of the BRT plan was cut in 2019, which would have seen dedicated lanes on Oxford Street, a block from the newly approved highrise. Instead, it will be a "transit village" where buses will stop.
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"It is not a good development. Yes, we want infill and housing, but it has to be appropriate for the people who live there," said the ward's Coun. Sam Trosow, who voted against the York Developments plan.
Failing to convince council to reconsider the motion or reject it altogether, Trosow and others did resolve to include London's paramedic service in discussions around traffic flow. An EMS station is located on Horizon Drive, between the site of the development and Costco.
"I appreciate the dialogue today and the willingness to have conversations around issues that impact residents," said Coun. Corrine Rahman. "We need more housing and we need to support more growth in this city. I'm happy we've got a request in to look at EMS traffic flows in the area."
The highrise, according to plans put forward by York Developments, will have 219 units.
Mayor Josh Morgan, who also supported building the complex, reminded council that City Hall is currently in the process of consulting on how people move through London. The Mobility Master Plan, which is open to public feedback on the city's website, will determine transportation priorities and infrastructure for the next 25 years.
"The official plan says lots more density here, and a transit village is here. So I don't see anything in this application that doesn't align with that," said Morgan. "I recognize the challenges in this area and every other area of the city that's growing. But we're going to work through this together."
