Four Londoners have filed appeals of a city committee decision to allow rezoning of prime real estate that would radically change the area near the Thames River.

City clerk Cathy Saunders confirmed that four appeals have been filed with the city that will be forwarded to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) by next week over the rezoning of land along Ridout Street owned by the County of Middlesex.

City council approved the rezoning last month that would allow for a commercial-residential complex.

Saunders said the last day to file an appeal was Tuesday and couldn’t reveal who had filed the appeals. The city collects the appeals and sends the documentation to Toronto.

“The information really belongs to the OMB, not us, we’re just the receiver,” she said.

The appeals will be sent to the board next week and the OMB is likely to post the information on their website.

The rezoning is the first step in the possible construction of a multi-million dollar highrise with 200 residential units.

The twisting tower concept was unveiled in November, a week after the city presented an audacious plan to make-over the forks of the Thames River, the city’s birthplace.

There were concerns voiced at the time that the original concept — a monolithic design — would block the view of the river for residents of the two Renaissance Towers.

Other concerns were that the tower, a design unseen in London, would overshadow the historic Middlesex County building, formerly the county’s courthouse.

The design was tweaked to be slimmer and tapered, eliminating about 50 residential units, and moved closer to the river.

An eight-storey commercial building was added to the concept that would face Ridout Street and be separated from the winding tower by an atrium.

To make room for the new project, Middlesex County plans to demolish the office building on the site which now houses the Middlesex-London Health Unit.

jane.sims@sunmedia.ca

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