Barrie Council Denies Dundonald St. Development After Residents' Objections, Adopts Safety KPIs

During last week's City Council meeting at Barrie City Hall, two major matters were addressed. The first involved residents making deputations opposing a proposed residential development at 19 Dundonald Street. 

Deepak Biwai – Local Journalism Initave

The initial application was for a nine-story, 58-unit condominium with underground parking. However, following community feedback and a city staff review, the proposal was revised to six stories and 50 units. Despite these changes, residents and the council opposed the development, citing concerns about density and the project's suitability for the site.

City planning staff recommended denying the application, emphasizing that the site is not located within a designated intensification area or corridor as per the city’s official plan. Aligning with staff’s assessment and community feedback, Council voted to deny the application.

The second matter saw Council engage in an extensive discussion about better ways to measure community safety and reduce crash rates at high-risk intersections and road segments.

Ward 10 Councillor Bryn Hamilton proposed adding several key performance indicators or KPIs for short, to the 2022–2026 Strategic Plan. These included the reduction in crash rates, which would involve identifying high-risk intersections to better target road safety and speed-reduction measures.

Ward 3 Councillor Ann-Marie Kungl raised concerns about the feasibility of the KPI and suggested deferring the matter for discussion during the Community Safety Committee meeting.

Another KPI proposed by Councillor Hamilton focused on ensuring the efficient use of funds allocated for infrastructure projects, minimizing both underspending and overbudgeting.

However, Council rejected Councillor Kungl's suggestion to defer the KPI changes and approved Councillor Hamilton's amendment.