Council approves zoning for 256-bed long-term care home in north Paris

Casandra Turnbull

Managing Editor

Plans for a new 256-bed long-term care home in north Paris have cleared a key planning hurdle, with County of Brant council approving zoning changes for the Park Lane Terrace property.

Council approved the zoning bylaw amendment for 295 Grand River St. N. at its Sept. 8 meeting, three months after the proposal was first presented during a statutory public meeting. The 12.6-hectare, or 31.1-acre, property is owned by Omni Quality Living and currently contains the Park Lane Terrace long-term care home. 

The amendment establishes the land-use permissions needed for a proposed five-storey, 256-bed long-term care facility fronting Ann Wilson Way. Detailed matters including the building layout, traffic, parking, lighting, servicing and engineering will still be reviewed through a future site plan control application. 

The approval also sets the zoning framework for eventual redevelopment of the balance of the property, allowing a mix of residential, commercial and institutional uses. When the proposal came before council in June, much of the discussion centred not on the long-term care home itself, but on what future development could mean for neighbouring residents. Residents raised concerns about density, traffic, building heights and development behind existing homes on Bradbury Crescent and surrounding streets. 

At that meeting, County senior planner Ryan Cummins stressed that development of the remaining lands would require additional planning applications, studies and approvals and could take several years. 

The zoning approved this month allows the Grand River Street North frontage to eventually accommodate residential development with commercial uses at grade. Other portions of the property can accommodate a broader range of housing, including single-detached, semi-detached, duplex and triplex homes, as well as apartments and mixed-use buildings with ground-floor commercial space. 

County planning staff said including lower-density housing options is particularly appropriate along the southern portion of the property, where the site meets the existing low-density neighbourhood.

A holding provision will remain on those future development lands, meaning additional requirements related to municipal infrastructure, phasing, studies and development agreements must be satisfied before development can proceed. 

The existing Park Lane Terrace home will remain on its own parcel. The zoning amendment permits a minimum frontage of 11.8 metres for that property to facilitate its future severance, although a site plan amendment will be required to establish a new entrance configuration. 

Transportation and servicing details will continue to be worked out as the project advances. The County is reconstructing Grand River Street North and Ann Wilson Way between 2026 and 2028, meaning new entrances and servicing will have to be coordinated with that work. The proposed entrance to the new long-term care home will also have to be coordinated with entrances for the new North Paris fire station. 

Two letters of objection were received from neighbouring residential property owners during the planning process, raising concerns about potential conflicts between future development and the existing low-density neighbourhood to the south. 

Despite those concerns, staff recommended approval, concluding the proposal conforms with the County's Official Plan and is consistent with the 2024 Provincial Planning Statement. Staff said the amendment supports compact development within Paris, makes use of existing infrastructure, provides opportunities for a wider range of housing and facilitates additional long-term care capacity.