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OMB gives OK to 147-unit development on Ramsey Lake

After years of wrangling, developer can build complex of single-family homes, apartments
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A Sudbury developer has won an appeal in front of the Ontario Municipal Board and will be allowed to proceed with his plan to build homes and apartments on Keast Drive in Sudbury. (File)

A Sudbury developer has won an appeal in front of the Ontario Municipal Board and will be allowed to proceed with his plan to build homes and apartments on Keast Drive in Sudbury.

Norm Eady has fought for several years to proceed with his development next to Ramsey Lake, and now will be permitted to build 54 single-family homes and 93 apartment units on 48 acres of land he owns. 

When brought to the planning committee in 2013, many residents objected to the plan because they were concerned about the impact on the lake.

However, Eady is proposing to link the development to the city's water and sewer system, unlike many of the existing homes next to Ramsey that use septic tanks, which often leak into the water system.

“Half the people that were up here, their septic tanks are polluting the lake water right now,” Eady said at a 2013 meeting of the planning committee. “I’m looking to fix this up, put some money in and some work and effort, and make Sudbury a better city.”

After agreeing to some changes to his plan – including lowering the height of the apartment buildings, donating more land for public parks and trails, and moving the stormwater management facility and septic lift station away from the floodplain — the planning committee approved his proposal in 2015.

But that approval was appealed by a few groups and individuals, including John Beaudry, who is building a house on Keast Drive near the proposed development.

He hired a planner and urban designer to testify at the OMB hearing, which was held in April. His planner argued that apartments were not compatible with the existing residences and didn't meet the city's Official Plan density requirements. 

But the board ruled that provincial policies “clearly” allow the type of development Eady is proposing.

Beaudry also argued that the view from his home would be negatively affected by the development. But the board concluded that, since the area is zoned as future development, he should have expected that development would occur in the area.

“The board agrees that as one would reasonably expect, given the Future Development zoning of the site, the views from the lake will change with the development, and in fact have been altered with the construction of his own home,” the board said in its ruling.

Eady will have to wait for final approval until the site plan agreements for the project have been agreed to. 

In total, there are 42 conditions attached to the proposal designed to protect water quality and provide public open spaces, including a requirement that all buildings be at least 30 metres from the shore, and will provide seeds or cash to plant 2,500 jack pine and red pine trees to provide a buffer between the shore and the development.


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