City closes door on Dalron project ... again

It was deja vu all over again for Dalron Construction Ltd., as the city's planning committee turned down the developer's latest proposal for a subdivision in Minnow Lake.

The April 16 meeting set the stage for the second proposal for Dalron. In October, the developer came to the table seeking permission to rezone a piece of property in Minnow Lake to build 705 new dwellings. Committee members, at the time, voted 4-1 against the proposal, going against the recommendation from city staff.

Councillors cited four reasons for turning down the application, chief among them the concern about an increase in traffic in the neighbourhood, specifically, the fact Howey Drive is close to capacity, and the fact the city lacks the financial ability to complete the upgrades that would be required. Improvements are expected to cost upwards of $50 million.

Concerns for lake water quality and the homes not fitting in with the current character of the neighbourhood were also points raised by residents and backed by councillors.

This time around, Dalron proposed developing 192 lot subdivisions. The developer wasn't looking to rezone the area in its most recent application, with plans to build anywhere in the range of 192 to 384 dwellings that fit within the current zoning of that land. The subject land is currently zoned R2-2, permitting single-detached, semi-detached, linked and duplex dwellings.

Art Potvin, a professional developer working for Dalron, said the most likely outcome would be about 300 new homes built in the subdivision, with a mix of all dwellings allowed to be constructed on the property.

After hours of discussion between residents and Dalron, the final vote came down to 3-2 against the proposal. Ward 9 Coun. Doug Craig and Ward 7 Coun. Dave Kilgour, chair of the planning committee, voted in favour of the development.

“The changes Dalron made in its application by basically cutting the number of units in half, combined with the fact they met every question that was put to them following their last proposal, led me to vote in favour of them moving ahead,” Kilgour said. “I think it's a good project that will help the city in the long run.”

People tend to forget that a project like this to fall into place will take between 10 and 15 years, he added, and there will be many changes in traffic flow between now and then.

Potvin said Dalron's plan is to develop in phases, with 25-40 lots per phase.

“We have to really be cognizant of the time, work and money these developers are putting into these projects,” Kilgour said. “Anywhere you go, the province is trying to push us into more infilling and to put more and more homes in a smaller parcel of land, simply for the sake of infrastructure and savings.”

All councillors said they accepted the fact Dalron changed the plans to build houses that more readily fit in with the current neighbourhood, Councs. Evelyn Dutrisac, Ward 4, Andre Rivest, Ward 6, and Fabio Belli, Ward 8, said they still couldn't accept a proposal that would add about 3,500 vehicle trips per day on the local roads.

Ward 11 Coun. Terry Kett said the entire issue has to do with the effect of traffic on people's lives, and there is “no way there will be a large amount of money spent by the city to widen that road.”

“Right now, we are basically at maximum in terms of traffic on Howey Drive, yet we have a 900-unit apartment building going up, and a proposed development from Dalron that would result in another 300 homes,” Kett said. “The numbers are so large, that it would put the traffic at more than 50 per cent of its maximum. That's not fair to the people of Minnow Lake. The people deserve to be looked after by the city, and that's what happened tonight.

The residents who presented their concerns at the meeting were well prepared, they did their homework, and that's what led to the vote they got, he said. Not everyone agrees, “but democracy wins in the end.”

Because of the changes Dalron made to its plans, the developer would likely be successful if it decides to appeal the decision at the Ontario Municipal Board, Kilgour said.

Posted by Arron Pickard