Public divided over proposed Puddicombe House expansion, apartment development

By Galen Simmons

Supporters say a proposed six-storey redevelopment of New Hamburg's former Felt Boot Factory would breathe new life into a landmark building and strengthen the downtown, while opponents worry the project will worsen parking shortages and change the character of the community.

Wilmot council hosted a public meeting July 27 on a zoning amendment application that would allow Puddicombe House owners Lyle and Karen Cressman to redevelop the former factory at 148-166 Peel St. into a mixed-use building featuring a spa, café and salon on the ground floor and 49 apartment units above. The proposal would retain the three-storey heritage building along Peel Street while adding a stepped four- and six-storey addition at the rear facing Wilmot Street.

Speaking on behalf of the applicants, SRM Architects + Urban Design managing partner Marc Villemaire said the project is intended to preserve the building's heritage while creating new housing and commercial opportunities downtown.

"This is not a single-purpose apartment block," Villemaire said. "It is a mixed-use downtown project that keeps the activity level and adds residential use in the location intended for support of a walkable core."

He said the taller portion of the building has been pushed toward the rear of the property to reduce its impact on Peel Street.

"The three-storey heritage building remains the primary face to Peel Street and the taller portion is set back so that the height's less dominant," he said.

The proposal requires zoning amendments to increase the maximum building height from four to six storeys, reduce rear-yard setbacks, increase lot coverage and reduce the required residential parking from 74 spaces to 49. The applicants say additional commercial parking would be accommodated on adjacent properties they own as well as existing municipal parking lots.

New Hamburg historian Marie Voisin urged council to support the project, saying redeveloping the former factory reflects how the community has evolved.

"The factories do not belong in the middle of town anymore," Voisin said. "We need to rejuvenate the downtown and that will only happen with more people living downtown and supporting all our businesses."

Voisin also suggested parking concerns may be overstated, noting several residents in another downtown apartment building owned by Marie and her husband, Greg Voisin, have given up their vehicles as they aged.

Baden resident Barry Wolfe also backed the proposal, arguing it would broaden the township's tax base and generate development charges while preserving a historic building.

"I see this as a good money thing," Wolfe said. "I've been delegating here many times about the need to transfer our tax base from residential agricultural ... to commercial industrial."

Opponents, however, focused almost entirely on parking.

New Hamburg resident Aimee Alabaster said she supports revitalizing heritage buildings but believes the proposal is too large for the site.

"I love the idea of the project, but I think it's bigger than the land or the parcel can support," she said.

Alabaster questioned reducing the parking requirement to one space per unit, arguing younger residents are likely to own vehicles and warning the development could overflow into municipal parking lots and neighbouring businesses.

Other residents echoed those concerns, raising questions about downtown parking shortages, snow storage, flooding, future severance of the properties and whether existing parking studies accurately reflect current conditions.

Senior development planner Cameron Miller said staff reviewed the applicant's parking analysis and are satisfied the proposal provides sufficient parking while noting the former industrial site itself historically operated with far fewer parking spaces than would have been required today.

Council did not debate the merits of the application, though several councillors expressed support for continued private investment in the downtown.

Coun. Kris Wilkinson said the project represents "a pretty good compromise," adding it preserves an important heritage building while creating housing and encouraging further business growth.

Following the public meeting, council unanimously received the report for information. Staff will review the comments received before returning with a recommendation on the zoning application at a future meeting.