The Chair requested staff to advise on the manner of giving notice for the proposed Zoning By-law Amendment with Draft Plan of Subdivision. He also asked staff to briefly describe the proposal and summarize the correspondence, if any, received to date.
Mr. Walker confirmed that the required notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act and circulated to each owner of land within 120 metres, and that a sign was posted on the subject property. He summarized the application, explaining that it proposes to permit a residential plan of subdivision consisting of 70 residential lots and 8 blocks: 6 single detached, 36 semi-detached and 28 townhouse dwelling units; five service blocks; one road widening block; and two 0.3 metre reserve blocks. This will be done by changing the zone category from the ‘Urban Residential Type One Exception Thirteen (R1-S13) Zone’ to the following zones:
- ‘Urban Residential Type One Exception XX (R1-SXX) Zone’;
- ‘Urban Residential Type Two Exception XX (R2-SXX) Zone’; and
- ‘Urban Residential Type Two Exception YY (R2-SYY) Zone’.
The draft plan of subdivision will create the lots for the single and semi-detached units; create the blocks for the townhouse units; and allow for the future division of the blocks into ‘lots’ for the townhomes to be completed by using the Part Lot Control (PLC) provision of the Planning Act. Through any appropriate revisions to the technical reports and plans and upon completion of a detailed review, it is anticipated that conformity with the policies Growth Plan of the Greater Golden Horseshoe and the Victoria County Official Plan, and consistency with the Provincial Policy Statement have been or can be demonstrated. Mr. Walker summarized the comments received to date, as detailed in his report, noting that subsequent to the writing of the report comments were received from the following members of the public (in addition to the comments noted in Mr. Walker's report):
- Gerard and Virginia Murphy
- Randy Vickers
- Graham and Dianne Eves
- Carol Racioppo; and
- Al Barnhart
In addition to similar themes mentioned from the public comments in Mr. Walker's report, the above members of the public raised issues regarding:
- loss of trees
- the proposed increased density of the development
- changes to property frontages along Bick Street with urbanization of the road; and
- ownership options for the townhouses
Staff are recommending that the application be referred back to staff for further review and processing until such time as all comments and concerns have been addressed. Mr. Walker responded to questions from Committee members.
The Chair inquired if the applicant wished to speak to the application.
Diana Keay of DM Wills spoke as the consulting planner/applicant on behalf of the owners (Elm Bobcaygeon 2018) and she noted that she was in receipt of the public comments, however have not yet responded to them in a comprehensive manner. Ms. Keay presented an overview and history of the application and provided background on the following items:
- the variety of housing types proposed and alignment with affordable housing targets
- the technical reports (geological, traffic, urban design, etc.) supplied as part of the application
- storm water management; and
- issues regarding the servicing of the development which may initiate a mandatory connection requirement for neighbouring properties
In conclusion, Ms. Keay stated that the proposed application is consistent with provincial and municipal policies, and she responded to questions from the members of the committee.
The Chair inquired if anyone wished to speak to the application.
Linda and Herb Britton noted that they have lived on Bick Street for 52 years and presented concerns with the application including:
- Spring runoff from lands north of Bick Street and the corresponding drainage/stormwater issues
- Parking along Bick Street
- Traffic getting in and out of the neighbourhood to Kawartha Lakes Road 49
- Affordable housing definitions, and what type is included as a part of this application
- Urbanization of Bick Street with possible damage to trees and retaining wall on their property
- Increased density of the development
Overall, Mrs. Britton requested responses to their questions, which they have summarized in correspondence, and the Chair permitted Ms. Keay to respond to some concerns raised in the meeting.
Carol Racioppo and Randy Vickers spoke and stated they had similar concerns to those raised by Mrs. Britton. In addition, Ms. Racioppo expressed concern about the loss of trees on the lot which could provide a buffer between the homes on Sedona Crt and the new development. She also questioned the proposed heights of the new residences in relationship with the neighbouring lots, and the servicing to the existing water/wastewater network.
Steven Noll presented an overview of the correspondence he provided to the committee. He expressed concerns about removal of existing trees, layout of the street network which might direct vehicle headlights into their home, the smaller proposed driveways which may result in on-street parking, and the likelihood of a mandatory connection to the water/wastewater network. He also recommended that the development have a separate entrance off Kawartha Lakes Road 49, as opposed to using Bick Street.
No other persons spoke to the application.
The Chair provided a further opportunity for Ms. Keay to speak to the public comments received. She noted that the homes would be bungalow in style, under 9m, and that a landscape plan would be forthcoming. They noted the concerns regarding density of the development, and stated that the mandatory connection and water/wastewater connection is a bigger discussion to be had, however they are committed to following the regulation established by the City.
The Public Meeting concluded at 1:50 p.m.