Unrest in Fawcettville

Proposed development casts a pall of uncertainty across neighbourhood

Fawcettville is a small community of homes on the north edge of Picton. Tidy bungalows and a few two-storey houses make up the neighbourhood of three short streets branching off Fawcett Avenue, which opens onto County Road 49. There’s a small playground, and the community has undergone little change in the past 30 years. That is about to come to an end if a proposed development takes place in a now-wooded area northwest of Fawcettville. Hilden Homes is seeking approval to build 31 single detached houses and 54 townhouses between the Millennium Trail and the edge of Fawcettville. Current residents fear there will a huge upheaval in their community during the construction phase, and that their concerns about quality of life issues and long-term traffic safety are not being heard.

Katy Fillmore first heard about the proposed development via a notice from the municipality’s website. She quickly found out that very few of her neighbours were aware of the development application, and she formed a Facebook group to spread the news. Ms. Fillmore has been living in Fawcettville since 2011 and she, like her neighbours, enjoys the quiet ambience of the community. It is a mix of young families, empty-nesters and seniors. It’s a walkable distance to the town, and the Millennium Trail is practically next door. The streets are narrow and—crucially— there are no sidewalks. Ms. Fillmore said she was surprised at the scale of the proposed development, particularly as the only construction access would be via Fawcett Avenue, which she believes is not wide enough to accommodate the increased traffic, and will in particular pose a hazard to pedestrians as there are no sidewalks.

With word spreading through the Facebook group, about two dozen residents from Fawcettville and adjacent area attended a public information meeting at the Prince Edward Community Centre on April 16. That meeting proved to be unsatisfactory, with many questions from residents left unanswered, or with answers lacking substance. Since that meeting, residents have continued to voice their reservations. Nearby resident Dave Tugwood was concerned about the increased traffic on CR49 during construction and after buildout. He noted that the traffic study cited by the municipality was done in 2017, and there has been a significant change since that time, so a new study should be undertaken to determine whether left turn lanes should be incorporated on CR49 at Fawcett Avenue. He said that future residents of the development will likely include school-age children, and therefore the impact on traffic by school buses needs to be revisited. Mr. Tugwood also mentioned that the influx of new residents will also mean extended garbage and recycling pickup. He wonders, too, if the potential of a temporary access road during the construction phase has ever been considered. This would certainly alleviate noise and traffic concerns for current Fawcettville residents.

Wendy Fraser has been living in Fawcettville since 1992. She is concerned about her quality of life during the construction phase, with increased noise and traffic as supplies are delivered. She also wondered at the effects of the loss of green space when the forested area is paved over. She said the developer has offered cash in lieu of providing green space within the proposed built up area, and said that money should remain within Fawcettville for improvements to the local park. Ms. Fillmore is not opposed to development, and welcomes the prospect of new homes and residents, although she laments the fact that these new homes will not meet the criteria for affordability. She said that what is happening in Fawcettville is a microcosm of what is writ large in developments across Ontario in the push to accelerate new housing. She feels very strongly that current residents’ concerns are not being heard or being taken seriously. There are the quality of life issues during the construction phase, and the lack of infrastructure and amenities for new residents.

She said that Fawcett Avenue will ultimately have to handle approximately three times its current volume of traffic if the development proceeds as proposed, and that is a potential pedestrian safety hazard due to the lack of sidewalks. She is afraid that the walkability of the neighbourhood will be lost and lead to a diminished sense of community. She has written to her local councillors and to Shire Hall, but the response so far has been lukewarm at best. She wonders whether she would have to channel her “inner hippie” to raise the profile of this. “Perhaps I need to chain myself to a tree to get them to listen,” she said with a wry smile.