CEDAR NORTH DEVELOPMENT Pages

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Cedar North Development proposed for Pinehurst / Watts Pond Road

By Casandra Turnbull

The people of Paris got the first look at a new development proposed for the town’s north end. Representatives for Cedar North Development were at the December 6th County of Brant Planning Committee meeting seeking a zoning bylaw amendment to rezone 121 acres of land from agricultural to residential to develop multiple low, medium and high-density homes, as well as open space and mixed-use commercial space. The land, often referred to as Cordon Farm, fronts 538 metres along Pinehurst Road and 703 metres along Watts Pond Road at the southeast corner of the two roads. The presentation and public hearing were for information purposes only, there were no deliberations and no decisions were made at the meeting. It’s the first step in what will be a very long process before any construction would begin. Mat Vaughan, Director of Development Planning for the County of Brant, explains there is necessary servicing work that must be completed before another subdivision can break ground in that end of town and that work could take a few years to complete. “According to operations staff, the current plan is to construct the new trunk sanitary sewer on Grand River Street North in 2023, then road improvements will begin in 2024, phased over several years,” explained Vaughan. “Wastewater treatment capacity would also be necessary for this development and an upgrade to the Paris wastewater treatment plant is at least 5-7 years away. The Class EA for the treatment plan is currently underway,” said Vaughan, when asked by the Paris Independent how far out the Cedar North Development project could be, if approved. The presentation, led by IBI consultants on behalf of the landowners, outlined the basics of the application. Planned in two phases, the development would feature anywhere from 776 to 984 units, the number dependent on what types of housing units are approved in the final plan. Councillor Steve Howes did question what those units would look like, pointing out there is a great need in the community for affordable and attainable housing. Continued on page 11

Cedar North Development is seeking a zoning bylaw amendment to rezone the subject land above from agricultural to residential. Associates from IBI Group presented the plan to the Planning Committee on December 6th .

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A schematic of what the new subdivision could look like, if approved by the planning committee and council. During the presentation at the Dec. 6th meeting it was revealed that 121 acres of former Cordon Farms land would be developed into low, medium and high density units.

Odete Gomes from IBI, confirmed phase 1 of the project meets that demand. The section of homes along Pinehurst Road will account for almost 50% of the total density of the subdivision. She previewed that it includes rental apartment buildings, two and three storey townhomes and an entire block that is dedicated to Habitat for Humanity, gifted to them by the developers. “We are very excited about this project. It’s a very identifiable entry point into Paris. We want to make the design that at the end of the day is something we can all be happy about. The developers and builders we are working with are local. They live and work in the community and are very much interested in making sure it’s something we can be proud of,” said Gomes Councillor John Bell had pertinent questions tied to the new, and almost approved Transportation Master Plan. “Another 2,500 people in the north end of town. Does our Master Transportation Plan include these numbers?” he asked. Vaughan, who was also at the meeting to answer questions, did not have an immediate answer for Councillor Bell but said he would inquire. Bell also had concerns surrounding the land’s current designation in the New Official Plan, waiting for approval from the province. Right now, the land is designated as urban residential and natural heritage. It was deemed ‘excessive land,’ but this newly proposed development contradicts that designation. Bell wonders how the population of the County would look if another 1,000 homes were added on this ‘excessive land. ’ Councillor Miller questioned whether this end of town could handle a growing population without ensuring there is another school considered to accommodate the increase in student enrollment. Vaughan said the county identified this issue through an area study and this development application was circulated through both school boards – both public and catholic – with minimal feedback. One board did suggest that a proposal might be necessary. After brief discussion, including questions from an area resident who will live beside the proposed development, the public meeting was closed.

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The IBI Group revealed the landowners plan to dedicate 50% of the subdivisions population to affordable type units – apartment buildings, two and three storey townhomes and an entire block gifted to Habitat for Humanity to build homes.

The December 6th meeting was the first step in a lengthy process, which starts before the planning committee with a public hearing. Staff will now evaluate the application and their recommendation to approve or decline it comes back to the planning committee at a future date. The Committee then votes to approve or decline before it goes to Council. The public will have more opportunities to speak and ask questions along the way. The next steps could take years to unfold as major infrastructure upgrades are essential to its approval. The development could also be approved with holding provisions, which was brought up in the meeting by Ward 2 Councillor Lukas Oakley. When the Paris Independent asked Vaughan to explain what a holding provision looks like, he replied “Holding provisions may be applied to an amending By-Law to delay development until local municipal services, such as roads and sewers, are in place and those services are available from a capacity perspective. In these instances, a Holding ('H') symbol will precede the zoning category in the By-Law, meaning the Zoning in place is put on hold until those deficiencies are addressed,” adding, “It is too early in the process to know if a holding is the appropriate planning tool to use for this particular development. committee declines the application, and it’s supported by council, the developer can still take the application to a provincial tribunal called LPAT, which deals specifically with planning matters and appeals. In recent years, Losani took the County to tribunal over the Nith Peninsula development at Barker’s Bush. The result was a settlement where designated acreage (Barker’s Bush trails) was transferred to the County of Brant to remain protected from development. When the developers for the subdivision approved on the former golf course took the County to LPAT, another settlement was reached to ensure the project was developed in three phases to allow the county time to implement the proper services and infrastructure, but there were no mandated changes to the number of homes built. At the end of the day, the County has to work with the developers to ensure any new development is a fit with the community and try to avoid tribunal situations where the outcome is generally in favour of more development to meet the province’s growing demands for new homes. This Cedar North Development, the subdivision yet to be named, would fall under the Conservative Government’s recently passed Bill 23: More Homes Built Faster Act and how those development fees will be transferred to ratepayers, home buyers or the County, remains to be seen.