Several years ago, real estate agent Horst Rosner stood on his property on Bradford West Gwillimbury’s Line 10, and described his plans for a retirement village – a small community of bungalows, with shared trails and gardens, that would offer an affordable alternative for independent seniors.
“I want this to be my legacy,” he said.
Rosner passed away on March 15 of this year, leaving behind his plans and drawings - and his dream, still a long way from reality.
Daughter Tracey Fines is hoping to carry on with the proposal.
“I love it,” Fines said. “I think it’s a great idea, that addresses seniors’ needs and is an opportunity to have something unique.”
Fines, a real estate developer, calls herself “a chip off the old block.” Although she was dealing with the loss of her father, she took the time to talk about the proposal and her plans to follow up.
It will involve contacting both the town planning department and the County of Simcoe, to see what steps need to be taken to move forward.
The property, halfway between 10 Sideroad and Yonge Street on the 10th Line, lies outside of the Bradford Urban Settlement Area boundary, in an area designated Rural. Although outside of the urban area, Rosner argued that the concept of small homes on a shared property, forming a discrete retirement village, would fit well with surrounding uses while preserving much of the natural environment.
The County of Simcoe, when contacted, urged the heirs to reach out to the Town of BWG if they are interested in pursuing the concept, but noted that they had no record of the proposal.
“Our role would be to ensure any proposal conforms with the Growth Plan and Provincial Policy statement, as developments of this nature are generally directed to settlement areas (urban areas),” said Chris Hedley, Public Relations Consultant with the county.
The Town of BWG indicated that although Rosner did discuss his vision with senior staff and several members of council, he never pursued the concept to the point of submitting a formal proposal.
“He never filed the application,” agreed Fines. “He was very old school,” looking for support for his vision before moving ahead.
Which means it’s now up to Fines.
“I’d like to pursue his vision,” she said. “He’s handed me the torch.”
She’s looking for partnerships, for a joint venture to move the plans forward.
“I need some assistance to help this happen,” Fines said. “It’s an initiative that could help a lot of people.”
She suggested it could be a kind of “test community,” offering a rural alternative for seniors, while embracing “green” concepts, from solar power to community gardens. “A different kind of retirement village… one that you can still be independent, but you’re in a community with others.”
Fines currently designs and builds houses in Toronto. She described the project as an opportunity to go beyond building houses: “It’s building a community.”
She added, “I’m excited about it. I think it’s a wonderful idea. It’s exciting!”
And if it goes ahead, it would be a lasting legacy and a tribute to her dad.
“I want to make his dream come true. He bought this property with that in mind,” Fines said. “It would be my dream come true, too.”
Fines can be contacted by email at [email protected].
