After stumbling at the planning committee last week, a proposed seniors home in South London is moving forward.
The eight-storey development on Baseline Road and Wellington Road was approved by city council Monday night in an 11-3 vote.
READ MORE: City politicians delay proposed seniors home development in South London
At the committee level last week, councillors voted 3-2 to send the plans for the seniors home back to staff over concerns it would cast shade on homes to the north for much of the day in the months of November and December.
Some councillors wanted to see the 82-unit development made shorter.
“They (seniors) are going to be able to do a lot of their living in that area,” said Coun. Harold Usher.
“Their shopping, their banking, their health, and I think it’s a very appropriate area to put this building and I don’t think eight storeys is too high.”
Councillors Stephen Turner, Anna Hopkins and Maureen Cassidy voted against the plan.
“It’s an important test of whether we actually live the plan that we collectively wrote and collectively passed,” said Turner, who represents the ward.
“What’s going to happen every time we say, ‘well… it’s just outside…’ Are we going to continuously grant those exemptions over and over and over again, and in which case, is the London Plan worth the paper it’s written on?”
Turner argued the building plan is twice as high as the four-storey limit previously laid out for the area.
The retirement and nursing care centre will occupy properties from 633 to 655 Base Line Rd. E., across the street from Victoria Hospital.
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