Plan to build up housing near Conestoga College's Doon campus presented to council

Residents are concerned about overcrowded student housing in the Lower Doon neighbourhood

Kitchener City Council saw some solutions to address the housing crisis near Conestoga College's Doon campus during a Monday night committee meeting.

Staff shared their recommendations to add more high-density housing to Lower Doon to help the growing student population.

This included re-designating some of the commercial lands south of Homer Watson Boulevard to high rise residential, as well as up-zoning an existing residential neighbourhood near Doon Valley Drive.

The latter suggestion drew pushback from residents of the area and resulted in delegates at the meeting voicing their opposition.

"Any new housing should be compatible with the existing housing," said delegate Barbara Thomas. "This is about the people that actually live in Lower Doon, the people that use Lower Doon every day."

The committee ended up voting in favour of the plan, with an amendment to maintain the current zoning of that residential area.

"As Conestoga College has grown its footprint on Lower Doon, students have not been able to find housing due to opposition of a small and vocal contingency of residents who oppose many forms of new developments that are not single detached family dwellings," said Nelson Chukwuma, president of Conestoga Students Inc.

The decision still needs to be ratified by council.