The move to intensify land use in existing neighbourhoods in an effort to slow urban sprawl continues to generate strong opposition from homeowners.
The latest flashpoint is 1180 Countrystone Dr. where Willow Homes wants to build 29 townhouses — three standard street-fronting townhouses and stacked townhouses with 26 units. These units will be in three different buildings.
The proposal is in line with the city’s official plan, the city’s growth management plan and the provincial Places to Grow Act — all of which call for more people living in many existing neighbourhoods in an effort to slow the outward expansion of the city.
The area is a typical suburb dominated by single-family and semi-detached homes. Some property owners on Iron Gate Street, Lemon Grass Street, Countrystone Drive and Resurrection Drive fear the proposed development will increase traffic, noise and crime, while driving down property values.
Hugh Handy, the planning consultant for Willow Homes, said change and fear go together when new developments are proposed in existing neighbourhoods.
“We are looking at intensification all over the city,” Handy said. “It’s a common thing. In all neighbourhoods we are trying to put in a range and mix of housing.”
The developer has applied for rezoning, which must be approved by city councillors. A public meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Sept. 15 in the Victoria Hills Community Centre.
“When we have pieces of land within our urban fabric that we have the ability to intensify, we have to make sure we use those lands to the best of our ability,” Handy said.
This is the first proposal to build multiple-unit housing on Countrystone Drive, but it won’t be the last. Further along Countrystone Drive land is already zoned for it.
There is currently a single-family home on the land now, which must be demolished to make way for the new multiple-unit development.
“The fact that these are going to be rented out and that it’s going to increase problems in our area because we are not going to know who the tenants are,” Linda Janssen said in an interview.
Janssen lives on Beechmanor Crescent, which has no direct access to the proposed development.
“We have already started to have problems with leased homes in our subdivision, with crime and so forth,” Janssen said. “We have had a number of problems in our neighbourhood recently with group homes and things like that, police presence, and we just don’t want to go through that again.”
It appears the neighbourhood opposition was sparked by the developer’s marketing campaign, which was started before the lands were even rezoned to allow for the townhouses.
“So he’s obviously built his own opposition and that’s going to make it an interesting process for sure,” said Jeff Willmer, the city’s head of community services.
Coun. Bil Ioannidis, who represents the area on city council, has told residents not to sensationalize their opposition.
“They are making it sound like it is going to be the ghetto,” Ioannidis said. “I am not really crazy about it, but I am going to let it go through the process and let the public have their say.”
Terry Pender, The Record