Some residents of Ottawa's Vanier neighbourhood say a proposal to build six residential towers ranging from six to 18 storeys at the busy intersection of Montreal Road and Vanier Parkway will only make traffic worse in the already-busy area.

A numbered company, 1147310 Ontario Ltd., owns the site that currently houses the Ottawa Plaza Inn at the southwest corner of the intersection.

On Nov. 8 councillors on the city's planning committee will consider a conditional amendment to the zoning bylaw to allow the towers, which would house hundreds of rental apartments and some townhouse units.

The owner first submitted a proposal back in 2014 for more than 600 units in four 18-storey high-rises, along with two shorter buildings.

City staff said the project has now been refined, and recommended councillors approve it because it would help develop a main street.

Residents unhappy

The revised proposal calls for two 18-storey towers, a 15-storey tower, a 13-storey tower, a shorter mixed-use building and a seven-storey apartment building on Gardner Street.

But the local community association said residents who attended a pair of presentations this fall were not happy with the proposal.

"It causes a whole heap of traffic," said Chris Penton, president of the Vanier Community Association, noting the development would have access to Vanier Parkway. "The intersection is already a nightmare."

Residents are also concerned the development, which would contain mostly bachelor units and one- or two-bedroom apartments, doesn't appear to be geared toward families.