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Port Robinson Rd. development may soar to 10 storeys

“It’s time to rally the constituents to provide a collective voice” Craig Edwards and his wife, Carla, have lived on Port Robinson Road, between Station Street and Rice Road, for 16 years. They like the area, and Pelham generally.
Craig Edwards Pt Robinson
Craig Edwards at the site of the proposed Port Robinson Road subdivision. SUPPLIED

“It’s time to rally the constituents to provide a collective voice”

Craig Edwards and his wife, Carla, have lived on Port Robinson Road, between Station Street and Rice Road, for 16 years. They like the area, and Pelham generally. But they are concerned about a development on their street, which they say could potentially result in a ten-storey building staring them in the face when they exit their front door.

In a broader sense, like many others in the town, they are worried about the residential sprawl taking place in Fonthill.

Edwards said he has been in communication with Curtis Thompson, a planner with the Town, seeking answers to questions about Sterling Realty’s plans for rezoning and residential intensification in the Kunda Park and Forest Park subdivisions. The development proposal, according to Edwards, involves 280 multi-unit dwellings, along with 86 townhouses, and 77 single detached homes…and potentially a ten-storey apartment building. He feels that the concentration of housing will impact the watershed in the area, and negatively impact the existing residential properties on the south side of Port Robinson Road, which have septic systems.

“Quite frankly, with every email exchange, I'm more convinced that the Town [council and staff] isn’t the least bit interested in getting input from homeowners in the immediate area,” said Edwards. “I'm sure if more people knew about this potential sleight-of-hand, council would be questioned on their lack of both oversight and constituent representation.”

Edwards said that he is prepared to rally constituents in the neighborhood, so as to provide a collective voice.

“A town of this size should not be finding out by default that all of these things are going to happen,” he said. “This should all be much more in the public domain, but the Town states that they are not obliged to tell anybody outside of the bordering neighbours.”

He laments what he views as a lack of open debate in the growth of Fonthill.

“Why are we always reacting to the development community? Why aren't we crafting our own plan that fits our future needs and existing infrastructure?”

The Edwardses watched the entire November 23 public meeting livestream that addressed the development proposal. They listened to the information brought forward by Upper Canada Consultants, the Town of Pelham Planning Department, and local residents speaking via Zoom, as well as questions and concerns expressed by council members.

Why aren't we crafting our own plan that fits our future needs and existing infrastructure?

“There were a lot of large issues and concerns that were not answered,” he said. “We fear that council will vote to approve this amendment without the information necessary for a prudent decision. If the existing plans for Kunda Park and Forest Park proceed, we will be left with an unfortunate legacy that is detrimental to our neighbourhood and downtown landscape.”

Questions about “block townhouses” came up during the presentations, which require “firm answers” with regard to resident parking and trash bin storage, said Edwards.

“The devil is in the details and if we don't think ahead, these higher-density units will be doomed to fail.”

Edwards says he is not opposed to sensible development of the site.

“Maybe a one-to-four storey building, where you have commercial space at the bottom and apartments above it, or even two or three storeys, doesn't seem unreasonable to me.”

The Port Robinson Road intersection with Station Street is a dense residential area, subject to significant traffic congestion, said Edwards.

“Once the deal gets inked, single-family homes in the area will simply be left as collateral damage.”

The interests of the existing residential neighbourhood should be considered first, he asserts. Edwards noted that Port Robinson Road has become a heavily used pedestrian area with the recent additions of River Estates and Saffron Estates.

Traffic calming measures are necessitated for the intersection of Port Robinson Road and Station Street, which Edwards says has become a dangerous spot for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicular traffic alike. A roundabout is the solution he advocates. Edwards said that he and his neighbours are frustrated by vehicle drivers who blatantly disregard the speed limit and stop sign at the intersection of the Steve Bauer Trail and Port Robinson Road. He said that speed controls must be put in place, and bicycle lanes widened to safely separate cyclists from vehicular traffic.

Barb Wiens, Pelham’s Director of Community Planning and Development, acknowledged that an application for a zoning bylaw amendment had been requested for the Forest Park subdivision, and that Block 90 in that subdivision is proposed to be developed for a mix of land uses including townhouses, apartments and/or mixed-use buildings. The lands are designated East Fonthill Medium Density. Wiens said that the developer, not the Town, has requested a maximum building height of 10 storeys, and that there currently has been no decision made on the application.

“In making a decision on this matter, council will need to consider if the request is in compliance with the Town Official Plan along with regional and provincial plans and policies,” said Wiens.

The Town Official Plan does have policy direction with regard to density and building height for the East Fonthill Medium Density area, and provides a maximum building height of five storeys (17 metres).

“However, there is another policy that states where Schedule A5 identifies symbolically the location of an apartment building, which it does at the south side where Port Robinson Road meets Station Street, then one apartment building may be developed, and the building may be a maximum height of 10 storeys,” said Wiens.

“It appears that the zoning bylaw amendment request, for 10 storeys maximum apartment building height at the location that is identified on Schedule A5, would comply with the policy direction of the Town Official Plan, with regard to building height.”

Wiens anticipated that the matter will be decided by council at a meeting in the new year, where there will be a recommendation report prepared by Town staff for council to consider. Public input will be received prior to the decision, said Wiens.

   

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Don Rickers

About the Author: Don Rickers

A life-long Niagara resident, Don Rickers worked for 35 years in university and private school education. He segued into journalism in his retirement with the Voice of Pelham, and now PelhamToday
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