Infill development

Planning for the future

At this point, the 7.5-hectare parcel of land between the Main Street homes and the Millennium Trail at Cleminson Street is a wild grassy field that is zoned rural.

At some point in the future, Sterling Homes envisions a housing development north of the Wellington Legion that would straddle Cleminson Street with 34 single detached houses and 14 lane-based townhouses on the east side and 191 mostly condominium townhouse units on the west side.

Last Wednesday, representatives from Sterling held an open house at the Wellington Museum to gather input from local residents.

“This is very preliminary,” said project manager Paul Mondell, pointing to photo displays of houses and townhouses. “None of this is carved in stone. This is literally us coming and saying: ‘What do you think?’”

If gaining feedback was the purpose of the meeting, it certainly served that purpose.

“I think it’s going to happen, but I think it’s too dense,” said Jim Law, whose backyard abuts the proposed development. “It should be like what you see on this side of the street: nine houses across, instead of 18. The density is double what it is in the County.”

Project Manager Paul Mondell explains some details of a preliminary map of the subdivision Sterling Homes hopes to build on land north of the Wellington Legion.

The development is likely three or four years away from even starting, but Mondell said Sterling wanted to gather reactions from locals before the rezoning and development applications even begin.

“I’ve always said that if you engage people and explain what you are doing, you lose 80 per cent of your opposition off the bat,” he said. “Then you work on the next 10 per cent. But you’ll never get that final 10 per cent, no matter what you say or do.”

Dan Leeming, an urban planner and village resident for 20 years, praised the developers for getting an early start on the process.

“You did the right thing,” he told Mondell. “People like to see what’s going to happen and have some input into it. All applicants should meet with residents before submitting a plan. This is by far the way to go.”

But Law had concerns that went beyond the density of the proposed development. He said a real worry is drainage from the site potentially ending up in the backyards of Main St. residences.

“There is a natural drainage ditch back there that runs along and drains over to the motel,” he said. “If you take that field behind and raise it up, then you’ll have drainage issues because one of the plans shows a road right there.”

Law also pointed at another map that “shows the property line going through my fire pit. Something’s way off.”

The Sterling representatives were well aware of one local issue because all the buildings will not have basements for fear of groundwater flooding. Instead, the houses and townhouses will be built on concrete slabs.

Mondell said the back-to-back townhouses will be aimed at young people who want to work in the County and will be “a little more affordable for young families.”

Law appeared resigned to the idea of a subdivision right behind his house, but added: “When they go to council with their hopefully revised scenario, then we can raise our objections. I guess we just follow it and wait and see.”

A rendering of the property was prepared for discussion and feedback purposes. No formal application or final drawings have been submitted to the County at this time.