Higher density rentals coming to Gravenhurst

The town approved an additional 24 units in addition to 16 already existing

Gravenhurst Council agreed to support higher density development with new rental units, in it’s August 25, 2026, Planning meeting.

According to the staff report, the request was to approve Official Plan and zoning amendments to allow 24 new rental units on Clairmont Road, more than doubling the residential density currently permitted under the Town's Official Plan.

The new one- and two-bedroom units are proposed in an apartment building on properties at 121 and 161 Clairmont Road, which are intended to be merged into one lot. Two existing two-storey apartment buildings containing 16 units will remain, bringing the total number of units on the property to 40.

The amendment permits a maximum density of 125 units per hectare, compared with the current Official Plan maximum of 60 units per hectare for high-density development.

Planning staff said the higher density supports residential intensification and adds purpose-built rental housing within Gravenhurst's fully serviced Urban Centre.

The report also points to the Town's 2024 Housing Needs Assessment, which found nearly four out of five existing dwellings in Gravenhurst are single-detached homes and identified a need to increase purpose-built rental opportunities.

Staff noted the property is within walking distance of downtown Gravenhurst and the Muskoka Wharf, as well as shops, services, trails and other recreational amenities.

The development will include a minimum 161.3-square-metre rooftop outdoor amenity area available to residents of both the proposed and existing apartment buildings.

The applicant also expressed the potential for some units to be offered as affordable housing and will be explored during future stages of the project.

The development will provide 41 parking spaces rather than the 50 normally required, including 17 spaces within a parking garage in the new building. A traffic review submitted with the application concluded the proposed parking supply would be sufficient.

Staff acknowledged the development introduces greater density and height than found in the immediate surrounding area, but noted the property already contains two apartment buildings and is within an area designated for residential intensification.

Staff concluded the proposal provides a compact form of development that makes efficient use of existing municipal infrastructure while contributing to a broader mix of housing options in Gravenhurst.

Neighbourhood residents voiced concerns about the development, including their views being blocked, the building contributing to existing drainage and flooding issues nearby, parking congestion, and snow removal.

The applicant and staff addressed resident and Council questions and concerns, expressing that they have conducted studies on most of them and will continue to fix existing problems.

Councillor, Randy Jorgensen, said that staff have provided thorough reports with the detailed requested from the applicant. He said, “The applicant provided all the studies and answers that staff have requested and put the money in to do so.”

He added, “The simple fact is that we need more housing in Town, we need more rental housing.”

Council also agreed that meeting housing needs is what’s being required from them by the provincial government.

Mayor, Heidi Lorenz, said, “This is what we’re supposed to be doing.”

She also concurred with the empathetic sentiment of Council members about the impact to nearby residents, indicating “it’s one of the hardest applications I’m going to support.” However, “For 4 years we said we needed housing in Gravenhurst.”