Another proposed residential development in Stroud – from the same developer – has drawn the ire of villagers.
Brookfield Residential made its pitch to build a 343-unit subdivision on a nearly 40-hectare parcel of land with 200 metres of frontage on Victoria Street.
The lands, currently used for agricultural purposes, require water and wastewater servicing before construction would commence if the project were approved. Given that the proponent requested an increase of density on the land 10 times greater than currently allowed, approval for the proposal is not a sure bet.
Coun. Kevin Eisses, who represents the ward where the proposed development is located, has heard from many of his constituents about the number of homes being proposed for the property, including 190 single-detached lots and 154 townhouse lots.
He was concerned the town was in a precarious position when it came to dictating the density, but was hopeful some latitude was afforded to them.
“My guess is that a lot of the density that is in this development is required by the province’s goal to make housing a priority here and throughout the province,” Eisses said. “Do we as council have any leeway in dealing with lowering that or making it appropriate for the town?”
Senior planner Keirsten Morris suggested the proposal will be reviewed against provincial and town policy before a decision is made. While the increase in density could likely be supported, staff wants to ensure the proposal would be compatible with existing developments surrounding it.
Deputy Mayor Kennieth Fowler was more pointed in his commentary, saying the staff report on the proposal raised several “red flags” for him even before the presentation from planners in support of the development.
“We’re talking not two or three times the homes, we’re talking 10 times the homes; right off the get-go that screams issues with parking, that screams issues with snow removal,” he said, also pointing to traffic concerns and a lack of flood mitigation, to the applause of the concerned residents who packed the council chamber for the meeting.
“Something like this is too much in too little space, in my opinion,” Fowler said.
The residents — many of whom live in Southview Estates, a subdivision constructed in the late 1980s — amplified the concerns of the councillors.
That tract of housing consists of larger homes and properties, with sidewalks on both sides of the streets, council heard. Often, the streets were described as laneways, with minimal traffic.
The proposal in front of council would turn those streets into thoroughfares, residents fear.
George Klienburger, the first resident to speak in opposition, said he and his neighbours were “getting the shaft” in this proposal. Having the entrance to a new subdivision be exclusively through an older one was unheard of, he said, and likely had more to do with restrictions from the County of Simcoe than anything else.
The increase in traffic might be the biggest impact, he suggested.
“They’re going to use our street to become a thoroughfare for 343 homes with two-car garages, so figure out how many vehicles are coming up and down that street, any day, any night, any time,” he said.
“I just think that the company needs to go back and rehash the whole thing. If you want to build a subdivision, build it somewhere else because Southview Drive is not going to become a road racing street for people going into that subdivision.”
If the subdivision does go forward, Klienburger looked forward to the reaction of the new residents the first time the manure from the neighbouring farm was spread.
Bruce Ward and his wife have called Stroud home for nearly 30 years and lauded the quality of life that brought them to the village to raise their family. He knows other people want to share in the lifestyle he and his neighbours enjoy and provided his comments not to be exclusionary of new residents.
Rather, a development such as the one being proposed might destroy the very thing people were seeking out, he warned.
“I think there’d be a lot less objection if the population density of the outlined additional residential area was consistent with the other four quarters of Stroud that we’ve seen, as opposed to this ill-conceived high-density layout,” Ward said.
“There are a number of other options that the developer could consider that might make it a lot more acceptable and understandable to residents.”
One of those changes, Ward suggested, would be the positioning of the parkland. Eisses had celebrated the inclusion of parkland in this proposal, particularly as Brookfield’s previous proposal provided cash-in-lieu.
The proposed location provides a buffer between the new homes and the train tracks that GO Trains utilize daily. Ward, however, thought the park would be a better buffer between the proposal and existing developments.
Brookfield’s other recent proposal – a 78-unit development along Yonge Street – was also on the top of residents’ minds during the public meeting, and what it means to a community that has committed to building a certain number of houses within the next decade, at the behest of the provincial government.
“We’ve done enough in Innisfil… we have a lot of houses and a lot of them are nice,” said Denise Thomson. “I don’t know why Brookfield is so intent on coming in and ruining Stroud with two subdivisions.”
General infrastructure concerns were also voiced during the meeting, including the lack of water and sewer services – which are planned in the coming years, but with no budgeted timeline – insufficient road capacity through the village and school overcrowding.
The cost of current residents to hook into any future sanitary systems was also challenged during the public meeting.
