Three major development applications that have languished for years came before councillors this week with requests to extend their draft plans of subdivision as all three are set to expire in 2024.
And following councillors hearing from staff and in some cases the developers themselves, council voted to deny one extension, approve another, and send the third back to staff for more information before making a final decision on its fate.
As part of their committee of the whole meeting on July 8, councillors dealt with requests from three developers asking for an extension to their draft plan approvals: Bridgewater at 11644 and 11700 Hwy. 26, Mair Mills Village/Panorama South at 260 Mountain Road and Linksview at 780 Tenth Line.
Mayor Yvonne Hamlin asked why the Bridgewater proposal had been on the town’s desk since 2007.
“A developer should be waiting until they’re ready to go ahead, and then bring their planning applications forward,” said Hamlin. “Why we have a plan kicking around for 17 years is beyond me.”
According to town planner Steve Stone, the Bridgewater proponent had cited changing market conditions for condominium development as the reason they haven’t been able to get a shovel in the ground yet.
Draft plans of subdivision are typically reserved for large-scale developments that seek to develop entire neighbourhoods at once. These plans include an overall plan for the entire land parcel, as well as a future phasing plan.
The Bridgewater on Georgian Bay development (previously named The Preserve at Georgian Bay) has been on the town’s books since 2007, originally receiving draft approval for 320 dwelling units on the 11664 Hwy. 26 property.
Consulate Developments revised the proposal in 2018 and applied for a zoning bylaw amendment to instead allow a mix of 655 apartment, single detached dwellings, semi-detached dwellings, and back-to-back townhouse dwelling units, which was pushed ahead through an Ontario Land Tribunal ruling last year.
The project has been granted seven extensions by the town over the past 17 years. No one on behalf of the developer appeared at Monday’s meeting to speak on the proposal.
Duncan Bristow of the Blue Mountain Watershed Trust spoke on the file, noting the organization had been involved with the development along the way, seeking to preserve the Silver Creek wetlands.
“We are concerned about the continued extensions,” said Bristow. “These numerous requests are consuming town planning resources.”
Councillors voted 6-3 opposed to granting the extension for Bridgewater.
Mair Mills Village/Panorama South has been on the town’s books since 2009, with the original plan receiving draft plan approval for 319 units including 127 detached dwelling units and 192 multiple dwelling units comprised of freehold townhouses, condominium townhouses, stacked townhouses and/or apartment dwellings.
The phased plan includes a block for a park, stormwater management facility and neighbourhood commercial uses.
As part of the staff report on this development, staff noted that there is an issue with water capacity that impacts the development however the developer proposed a solution earlier this month to build an alternate watermain distribution system that would mean servicing could be made available sooner for phase 1 of the build.
Shelley Wells of Plan Wells Associates on behalf of the developer, and one of the landowners Pete Graham, both attended to speak on the proposal, requesting a three-year extension for the draft plan approval.
“We’re asking for time,” said Wells. “The past several years have proved challenging for Canadian real estate development.”
“We are extremely excited to start the first phase of development,” said Graham, noting that his ownership group has only been involved in the project since 2016, and that he’d like to see shovels in the ground for the first phase next year. “We want to start this and build houses.”
Graham noted that some of the delay was due to the town’s interim control bylaw and water treatment plant expansion concerns.
“How do we know you’re going to go ahead? Convince me,” said Hamlin.
Graham said the development is extremely important to him and the ownership group.
“We wanted to build in 2019. We signed the agreement and gave the town a cheque. At that time, the other landowner was not ready and it fell apart,” explained Graham, reiterating that the developer had recently solved outstanding servicing issues.
Councillors voted 8-1 in favour of granting the three-year extension for the Mair Mills development.
“This owner has just solved his servicing problem. It would be helpful for him to have full advantage of the leveraging of lending to get this going,” said Hamlin.
For the Linksview (also known as Wyeview) proposal, the previously approved draft plan of subdivision consists of a variety of blocks, lots, and municipal road allowances to support 637 dwelling units and includes a block for an elementary school. The plan was originally approved in 2016.
The approval for the plan has been extended once before, and was scheduled to lapse on June 29, 2024, but was extended by town staff for 30 days. The proponent has requested the approval be extended for seven years, until 2031.
According to town staff, the file is unique in that the town is unable to provide servicing to the property until at least 2030 when the new water treatment plant expansion is complete and additional capacity comes online. Even if the developer were ready to put a shovel in the ground now, the town would be unable to send water to the site at this time.
Therefore, town staff had recommended denying the extension, allowing the plan to lapse and having the developer reapply closer to when water would become available.
“I respectfully disagree with the recommendation to let the subdivision lapse,” said Kory Chisholm of MHBC Planning, who spoke on behalf of the developer. “When the site was acquired, there was no known constraint with water.”
“It was sudden and unexpected, and out of the control of the owner. It seems these delays are being used to penalize our client,” he said.
Hamlin took issue with the allegation that the town’s water issue was the reason for the delay.
“Since I’ve been sitting at this table since 2018, all I’ve heard about is the lack of ability of the development community to reach a deal on sharing the costs of putting in the necessary infrastructure,” she said. “I really don’t think this has been the Town of Collingwood’s problem.”
Councillors voted 6-3 to refer the matter back to staff for more information on the implications of granting an extension, should council choose that course of action.
All decisions made during committee of the whole need to be ratified at the July 22 regular meeting of council before going into effect.
