Wellington Lakeside

56-unit subdivision in Hillier Ward labelled as premature

Wellington Lakeside Ltd., owned by the Kaitlin Corporation, has submitted applications for draft plan of sub-division and zoning bylaw amendment for a residential development consisting of 22 single-detached homes, a condominium block containing 34 townhouses plus a small lake lookout and public parkette.

At last Wednesday’s Planning meeting, Council heard from the developer and the public for the first time on the proposal.

As part of a new planning format, this first overview meeting was meant to gather information and provide more opportunity for the public to participate. Planning staff then take what was discussed and work with the developer, to formulate a report and will then provide a recommendation to Council at a subsequent meeting.

Ryan Guetter, a planner with Weston Consulting, provided a brief overview of the site proposal, also answering previously-submitted questions from the public.

The property is located on Lake Ontario at 16880 Loyalist Parkway in Hillier, snuggled between Skiff Cove Road to the east and Lewisville Drive to the west. The proposed subdivisions sits on 3.7 hectares of currently vacant land on Lake Ontario. It sits within Wellington Urban Centre in the Secondary Plan, but is outside the village boundary and is part of Hillier Ward.

An 8.5-metre wide potential access to Skiff Cove Road on the east and a six-metre wide walkway to connect a proposed public park on the site to the lakeshore area is included. A setback of 21 metres from top of the shore bank has been incorporated into the design for single-detached lots on the south of the property.

We are seeing this as an enclave type of development unto itself and self-sustaining, and we know it can be serviced by extensions of the municipal service planned, and the engineers have indicated the capacity would be there as part of the master servicing plan,” said Guetter. “We understand that the timing of that will be when the next tranche of allocation units are available, not in the immediate term, but in the fullness of time.”

A large block is contemplated for condominium townhouses, described as being completely self-contained from the other streets in the proposed development. This would mean they would be run by a condominium corporation. They range in size from 1,700 to 2,500-square-feet.

Of the proposed 56 units, none are expected to fall under the “affordable housing” definition.

Doug Taylor spoke on behalf of 19 homeowners on Skiff Cove Road. He urged Council to take into consideration the company with which it was dealing.

“Can this company pass tests of reliability, honesty, risk adversity, and have a genuine regard for the needs of the community?” asked Taylor.

He then went on to say that he and his neighbours couldn’t support a project that sets any precedent for future building in the County.

“We would like assurances that construction specs such as building height, area coverage, density and setback allowances meet County and Quinte Conservation standards. That they are not going to be the subject of many minor variance hearings.”

He also noted that discussions about potential mandatory connection to wastewater needed to take place.

“If connecting Skiff Cove Road residents to the proposed sewage pumping station is an option, we would like to hear about it. What does it cost? Who pays?”

Sid Rodaway, who also resides on Skiff Cove Road, believed all water and wastewater servicing costs should be paid upfront by the developer.

“Remember that Kaitlin stalled the $12 million initial payment to the County for a full year-and-a-half, always promising to pay up by a series of extended deadlines, only paying when the deadline was extended yet one more time with the threat from the County to cancel the project approval if the company failed to pay,” he said.

Rodaway also took issue with the smaller 37-foot wide lots, saying they were too narrow compared to the large 100-foot lakefront lots.

“Adding a block of 34 townhouses makes for a too-tightly packed neighbourhood,” he added.

Dale Brown has lived at the end of Skiff Cove Road for more than 40 years. On the plans, a 28-foot potential walkway connecting Skiff Cove to the new subdivision is shown cutting through the front of her yard.

“Nobody asked me. Not going to happen.” said Brown. “There is no reason for that. Absolutely no reason.”

Manager of Planning Michael Michaud noted that staff weren’t proposing to put a road or walkway through the commentor’s property.

“What the plan shows is the potential for an access. It could be 50 years from now. It could be 100 years from now. Proper planning wants you to connect communities at some point in time. My word is we are not doing that. We don’t do that in planning.”

Wellington Councillor Corey Engelsdorfer said he believed discussing a draft subdivision approval and zoning changes on this property was premature.

“Although it’s part of the Secondary Plan, it is actually in Hillier Ward. You mentioned that it’s infill, but it’s as far from infill as you can actually get. The Secondary Plan gives priority to infill. We have developers sitting waiting for projects in the village core, so I think priority should be given to them.”

Engelsdorfer also believed that extending services out beyond the western boundary of the village didn’t make sense at this time.

“There’s enough development approved currently in Wellington—there’s 600 units for this developer alone in the first phase of another project to build-out,” he said. “Are we putting the cart before the horse in this scenario?”

Councillor Janice Maynard echoed her colleagues sentiments.

“Now we are going to have to extend pipes, both sewer and water, and have a sewage pump station. We currently have no capacity,” said Maynard. “If we are going to have orderly development, and we are a long ways from even being able to service what is on the books, why now?”

Councillor Roy Pennell agreed. “With good planning, I don’t think we should be looking at projects until we know if and when we can supply what is needed.”

Staff expect the file to come back to a Planning meeting in roughly 60 days.