FAQs
What is ‘surplus land’?
If a property is no longer required for its original purpose, the Region of Waterloo considers other uses for the land that will achieve broader community objectives, being mindful of the existing planning framework in place. Creating a range-and-mix of housing choices throughout the regional urban areas for all income groups is an important objective of the Region of Waterloo to ensure all members of the community have access to safe and affordable housing. Each of these properties have been declared legal surplus by Council for disposition to the market.
What type of developments will be built? How many housing units are expected to be built within these developments?
The Region anticipates submissions will be mixed-income with a component of affordability integrated. Development scale and density will vary depending on the applicants, but will be guided by the Regional and area municipal policies and zoning in place. Request For Proposal documentation will outline design parameters to be considered during evaluation.
The Region will encourage submissions that demonstrate innovation and creativity with housing solutions that are affordable, design forward, contextual, and environmentally sustainable.
The Region, through consultation with planning staff at the City of Cambridge, estimates this development project could see approximately 105 housing units.
What does ‘affordable housing’ mean?
The Region defines affordable housing on surplus lands in line with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) requirements for Co-investment funding. CMHC requires the use of Median Market Rent (MMR) and requires that at least 30% of units be below 80% of MMR to be eligible for Co-Investment funding. While this is also the Region’s minimum requirement, it targets 40% or greater on surplus land sites. Applications that can achieve deeper levels of affordability may be eligible for additional funding through the Region’s affordable housing grant program.
How will the community’s input be considered in decision-making for each property?
Information sessions are being held for each property. Input gathered from community members will be included in the development Request For Proposals to help inform submissions for development.
Will there be any green space retained?
There will. The lots that you see in red (in the presentation material), those properties will be severed off and sold as single family lots and with any building application on those properties there will be a minimum requirement for green space that they will have to meet. On the remaining green parcel (referencing the presentation material) where you'll see the larger remaining development site, there will definitely have to be green space protected as part of that ultimate development proposal, in line with City zoning standards and the requirements in the RFP.
How many units in total are expected for the site?
On the red lots (referencing presentation material) being created, each of those we anticipate would have a single detached dwelling on it.
On the green remaining development site (referencing presentation material), we're anticipating somewhere around 100 units. Though, ultimately, this site will be built out by a builder/developer, not by the Region, so we are putting parameters in the RFP around unit mix but the ultimate unit count may look slightly different than 100 units.
Do we have a sense of what the rates will be for residents relative to the market rate? the
In the RFP document, because the site is Regionally owned, we're able to out parameters around the percentage of required affordable units and the target for affordability. Our Regional standard for meeting that affordability threshold is that 80% median market rate (MMR). In comparison to the market rate rental below, it will be closer to 55 - 60% of full market rate.
When can we expect the building to start construction?
On the severed lots, we are anticipating that the single detached lots would be brought to the market this summer and, once we have offers on those lots, that would come back to Regional Council for approval. Presuming from there, once those deals are done, it's really a matter of folks sorting through their building plans, getting their building permits and getting shovels in the ground. Those newly created single lots, they could be in the ground as early as the end of this year.
On the larger green development site, the Region has to get through their Planning applications with the City of Cambridge, before we go out to the market with a Request for Proposal (RFP). We are currently in that Planning approvals phase now and we are anticipating that we will be through that phase by the fall of this year and that the RFP could follow from that. That RFP process is going to allow us to select the right builder for that project, from there, the building will have to go through their own site plan process with the City of Cambridge and then from there, get a building permit issued. We expect the Region will be in a position to go to RFP for the retained parcel in late 2023/early 2024 and that we could move forward with the successful builder and assist them through their site plan process of the course of 2024. Based on this timeline, construction activity may occur on site as soon as fall 2024 though there are a lot of steps to get through to get to that point.
Does this property need a zone change? This seems like a lot of houses given the current zoning.
Right now the zoning on the property is both institutional and residential, a split N1R4 zone. The Region is submitting for a zoning by-law amendment, to keep the institutional zone and change the residential zone to RM3, which would allow for increased density on the site, as well as a review of parking standards.
The next round of public information sessions will be really focused on the zoning amendment application. If you do have more questions around the zone change, we would encourage you to come back for those sessions.
Has there been a geotechnical study carried out for the site and, if so, can that be shared with the potential proponents?
Yes, there has been a preliminary geotechnical study undertaken for the property. The geotechnical study, and other pre-development reports undertaken by the Region of Waterloo, will be shared with potential partners as part of the request for proposal process.
What is the approximate parking ratio the Region is looking to achieve with the impending Zoning By-law amendment?
The Region of Waterloo undertook a parking study for the site, looking at demand, transit access for the property and factoring in the mixed income model that we are proposing on the site. As such, we are looking to reduce the minimum parking standard on the property from what is currently dictated in the by-law to a parking rate of 0.68 parking spaces per unit, including visitor parking.