Controversial Mississauga school expansion gets approval with conditions

A controversial school expansion in Mississauga is moving forward with a few conditions.

The proposed expansion of Rotherglen School’s Meadowvale Elementary Campus at 7059 Second Line W. faced community opposition at the city’s Heritage Advisory Committee in May.

Rotherglen is a private independent school that has been in the community for over 25 years.

The school would like to build an addition on a heritage Edwardian house, which was built around 1920. The house is part of the school. The school wants to demolish a one-storey newer addition on the Edwardian house and replace it with a larger, 2.5-storey building to accommodate growth.

In May, residents expressed concerns about the size and design of the building, and worried about an increase in traffic.

A diagram submitted to the City of Mississauga illustrates the design plan.

The committee deferred the application, and it returned to the meeting this week.

Meadowvale resident Andrea Field, whose daughter attended Rotherglen, came to the June 9 meeting to speak on behalf of concerned residents in the community.

Field stressed that they are not opposed to the expansion, but want it to be compatible with the surrounding neighbourhoods.

They are concerned about the scale of the expansion and the precedent it might set, she said.

The current building at 7059 Second Line W. Photo: Google Maps

They made several suggestions to the plan, including enhanced vegetation buffers to protect privacy, dark sky lighting control, a traffic management plan, and an architectural and landscape review by the Heritage Advisory Committee.

A rendering shows plans for the interior of the new building. Rendering: CS&P Architects Inc.

“We believe that there is an opportunity to move forward in a way that supports the school’s future growth while also protecting the heritage character that makes Meadowvale Village unique,” Field said.

The Heritage Advisory Committee approved the application on three conditions:

• That the final architectural drawings and cladding materials be reviewed by heritage staff to ensure that they are compliant with the Meadowvale Heritage Conservation District Plan.
• That the final landscape plan, including new trees and plantings that provide screening from Second Line West, be reviewed by heritage staff.
• That a tree protection plan be provided and implemented for the protection of existing trees within the construction zone.

The property owner will work with heritage planning staff to make minor revisions to address heritage concerns, said consultant on the project, Megan Hobson of Hobson Built Heritage, in a memo to city staff.

For more information, see the Heritage Advisory Committee meeting here.

Lead rendering: CS&P Architects Inc.