Fernwood NRG is seeking to rezone 1310 Gladstone to permit a three-storey mixed use building that will include commercial space and housing or small offices

The lot at 1310 Gladstone Avenue is situated in the relatively dense core of Fernwood Village, across from the 24-unit townhouse complex at 1315 Gladstone Avenue, and between Aubergine Specialty Foods grocery, the Fernwood Inn, and the existing office building at 2009 Fernwood Road to the west, and the 14-unit CRD Housing townhouse complex at 1320 Gladstone Avenue to the east. Although there is a single family house on the property today, it is stranded between commercial and multi-family uses.

We see this lot as an expansion of the commercial activity in Fernwood Village, with housing or offices on the upper floor. A commercial space at 1310 Gladstone Avenue will extend the commercial core of Fernwood Village east along Gladstone by less than 30 feet, while adding the potential for two to four additional small businesses and three or four small apartments (1-bedroom and studio) or offices. The lot is long and narrow, with a beautiful mature maple tree at the street. It also is sitting more than four feet below street level, with the elevation falling away significantly toward the back of the lot. As such, although we are proposing a three storey building, it will appear to be two storeys high from the street. We will maintain the maple tree by setting the building back from Gladstone Avenue; this will also provide a significant buffer between the core of the village and the residential neighbourhood beyond, as the building is designed to respect the privacy of the neighbouring townhouses.

A drawback of the lot is that we cannot make provision for on-site parking at this time (there is no on-site parking on the lot presently either). The lot is too narrow to permit access to the rear of the lot from the front, and access to the rear is through existing parking spaces at 2009 Fernwood Road. Any gain of parking at 1310 Gladstone would imply a loss of parking at 2009 Fernwood Road—at least as that lot is currently configured. Although we do not plan to develop 2009 Fernwood Road in the near term, the longer term plan for the lot will incorporate more on-site parking and will resolve some of the access issues. We are also exploring partnerships with both the Fernwood Inn and Aubergine Specialty Foods to explore ways in which we can work together to manage waste and provide bicycle storage, which has the potential to increase the amount of parking available behind those businesses.

Since receiving the unanimous approval of our membership in September 2013 to complete the purchase of 1310 Gladstone Avenue and 2009 Fernwood Road, Fernwood NRG has:

  • broadcast this news through the October edition of the Village Vibe and an interview on CBC radio,
  • held a public meeting at the Fernwood Community Centre in November,
  • met with the Community Association Land Use Committee (CALUC) in both December 2013 and January 2014, and
  • added a section on our website to serve as a repository for all of our information about the project.
  • We will also be meeting with the CALUC again in February to share more information about the overall project, with further meetings to be scheduled to address specific proposals.

We are committed to sharing as much information as possible about our development plans, and to considering feedback from our neighbours. Ultimately, the project will proceed in phases to public hearings at City Hall, and all neighbours will be informed of those meetings by mail. You can let us know what you think today by sending us a note at fernwoodfuture@fernwoodnrg.ca.