Kitchener developing secondary plan to deal with student overcrowding in Lower Doon

The City of Kitchener is looking to address overcrowded student housing in the Lower Doon area of the city.

City council approved the lodging house bylaw for the area — which puts a cap on the number of people sharing a home. The city is doing more to accommodate more housing options in Lower Doon.

“Through this study, we will be looking at how best to accommodate growth in Lower Doon through a full range of land use and housing types. Including townhouses, small housing apartments, large housing apartments, and opportunities for purpose-built rental accommodations,” said John Zunic, policy planner, with the city.

The city has put forward a new secondary study that builds on the land-use study from 2019 and 2020. The secondary plan aims to implement the Lower Doon Land Use Study recommendations.

“This includes reviewing the city's official land policy, zoning bylaw, and developing design guidelines specific to the Lower Doon area,” said Zunic.

The city will also identify and preserve the cultural heritage area near Pinnacle Drive and other cultural heritage assets.

Zunic noted they would be taking the next year to draft materials, policies, and plans and bring the results to the community.

“We plan to take a broad community engagement campaign in 2023. We aim to have a new secondary plan brought before the city council in the fall of 2023 for a decision.”