More than 70 people packed council chambers this week, eager to share concerns about a proposed development for the Bradford Highlands Golf Club.
During a June 11 public planning meeting, town senior planner Thomas Dysart said Bradford Highlands Joint Venture (BHJV) wants to revise the municipality's settlement boundary to include the golf club property in the urban area and have it rezoned from open space recreational (OSR), agricultural (A) and estate residential to residential one (R1) and residential two (R2), so it can be redeveloped into a subdivision with 998 units.
Officially known as 23 Brownlee Dr. (plus 2820, 2824 and 2848 Line 5) and located between lines 5 and 6, the property borders 20 existing homes along Brownlee and wraps around a group of 14 more at the end of the street.
Don Given, of planning firm Malone Given Parson, also spoke on behalf BHJV — which includes ICG Golf, Bayview-Wellington (Highlands) and 2523951 Ontario Limited — and their proposal for the 60-hectare property to include 342 single-detached homes, 196 semi-detached homes, 334 street townhouses, and 126 back-to-back townhouses as well as three hectares for parks and more space for stormwater management.
That didn’t sit well with local residents, including Stephanie Sinclair, a real estate broker who has lived in town for 36 years and called the proposal “a gut punch.”
“When did the identity of our town change from a nice safe suburb filled with nature, to a place which strives to cram in as many humans, asphalt, garbage cans and noise as possible?” she asked.
Sinclair summarized several of the concerns voiced by multiple residents including that the development would be too dense to fit with the existing estate homes, wouldn’t have enough park or commercial space, would generate too much traffic and not offer enough walking options — all of which Sinclair said could have been addressed if the developers had better considered residents’ feedback from meetings in May and July of 2022.
Wanda Leblanc said she has lived in town since June 1988 and called the proposed density “overwhelming,” likely to result in unpleasant situations similar to those shown in the American television series Neighborhood Wars as people would be “squeezed in next to each other.”
Leblanc and others emphasized the need for a green buffer zone between the existing estate homes and the new denser development which could function as a walking trail and help prevent damage to the newer properties, should any of the aging septic systems leak. Leblanc noted that her system is “perilously close” to end of life, and if council were to approve the proposal as is, the town should be liable for potential damages.
In addition to concerns over congestion from this and other developments proposed for the area, Leblanc also shared another common concern among residents — impacts to privacy and property values.
“My home is my largest personal investment,” she said. “What do you think would happen to my property value with homes in my back yard so close and so congested?”
The proposal includes increasing the maximum height for development from the typical 11 metres to 13 m, which Leblanc worries would result in the proposed three-storey townhouses “dwarfing her home,” and resulting in “umpteen people looking through their windows directly into mine,” which would add “insult to injury,” based on the “exorbitant” property taxes local residents pay.
While she agreed that children should have yards “larger than a postage stamp to play and thrive,” and also saw the importance of a house as a “forever investment,” Lorraine Mantle also suggested ways to make housing both more affordable and more accessible, and that the developer consider adding an apartment building with elevators and rent-geared-to-income for some units.
Residents also pointed to the concerns of the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) over hyrdogeology and natural heritage, specifically the need for redesigned drainage and potential issues with stormwater management.
In particular, Candace Smith worried about the impact on the existing residents’ drinking water wells and “vulnerable aquifers,” calling the proposed development “really concerning,” for how stormwater and runoff will be handled.
Smith wanted the town to provide more information on whether or not existing residents will be expected to connect to municipal water and sewer services in future as part of the development, and town staff later confirmed it might be an option.
“How can we stay on well water while this massive development is under construction for years?” she asked.
That concern was echoed by Mary Spencer-Thompson who asked for a vibration assessment due to the presence of so many wells, and also reiterated the need for more commercial amenities in the area, to avoid adding thousands of new residents “with nowhere for these people to go even for a bag of milk.”
Spencer-Thompson and others also emphasized the need for a school in the development, which was also communicated by the Simcoe County District School Board, who explained its Bradford schools are already at 108-per-cent capacity, and requested five to six acres be set aside for a new school at one of three locations.
Councillors and staff weigh in on proposal and process
Ward 7 Coun. Peter Dykie, in whose ward the development is proposed, said he had spent “many hours” speaking with residents and reviewing the proposal and agreed with the residents’ concerns.
“I’m appalled that such a high density impact is being put right onto this golf course," he said.
While he acknowledged the need for more housing in the town, Dykie said he preferred the “old-fashioned” large-scale community planning over a piecemeal approach, and expected future high-rise buildings anticipated to be built near the GO Transit station could help offset the need to develop the golf course.
Ward 5 Coun. Peter Ferragine also agreed with many of the concerns from residents and said that in its current form, he wouldn’t support the proposal.
“They’ll be hearing a resounding no from me,” he said.
In addition to concerns that this proposal would “open the flood gates” for other developers to request Minister's Zoning Orders (MZOs) as a way of skirting the town’s official plan, Ferragine also said the development needs to include “serious consideration for the existing neighbourhood,” and should be more than just “slamming as many homes as we can in the smallest area.”
However, he also said the developer has the opportunity to make changes and could create “something beautiful.”
Virginia Breedon felt the public meeting was just an exercise in “ticking boxes” and made “an emotional plea” in which she was “begging” for council to truly consider the concerns of residents.
“Make Bradford beautiful again,” she said. “This can be done in a way that is pleasing.”
While he appreciated the opportunity to share feedback, resident James Gregory expressed frustration over being “here yet again, dealing with this madness,” of a development with a history dating back to 2017.
Given explained that BHJV are asking for the MZO in lieu of the now defunct Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator (CIHA) order to help address the development’s rocky past and allow the process to move ahead despite the provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra not yet providing a decision about the County of Simcoe’s official plan, which would impact the town’s decision for the property.
While the MZO provides the minister the power to make orders for zoning land to determine the permitted use, size and spacing of buildings, Given further explained that the developer is not attempting to circumvent the local council process.
“Anything that goes forward has to go forward with your approval,” he said.
However, town community planning manager Alan Wiebe later confirmed that even if council opposes the MZO, the minister could still approve it anyways, and there is no option to appeal the minister’s decision, which resulted in jeers of disapproval from the audience.
“We were elected by the residents to advocate on their behalf,” Ward 1 Coun. Cheraldean Duhaney said. “I just don’t understand how the province can just make a decision and the people have no say.”
Mayor James Leduc reminded everyone that municipalities are creatures of the province and must follow provincial legislation, including recent changes as part of Bill 185, the Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, which just received royal assent on June 6.
As a result, the mayor said the town is doing its best to keep up and Wiebe noted that because the changes were so recent, some specific portions of the process were not yet clear.
Both Ward 2 Coun. Jonathan Scott and Deputy Mayor Raj Sandhu said it’s better for the town to work with the developer than to shut them out and risk having the decision made by the minister on the town’s behalf.
“Council is always pressed with tough decisions,” Leduc said, noting the town's population target of about 85,000 by 2051. “It’s our responsibility to plan for the future, so this application is potentially part of that future.”
Council is not expected to make a decision until after staff provide a future report based on both the public feedback and the developer’s response.
Until council does make a decision, residents can still provide written submissions about planning file No. D12-24-05 via email to [email protected].
For more information, visit townofbwg.com/bradfordhighlands.
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