A commercial development in Sudbury's South End was greenlit by the planning committee of city council this afternoon, despite opposition from area residents.
Although their approval still needs to be ratified by city council as a whole on Tuesday evening, Monday’s unanimous approval points to a likelihood the development will be cleared to proceed.
Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh represents the area on city council, and attended today’s meeting as a non-voting member.
She told Sudbury.com after today’s vote that she will not flag it for review during tomorrow’s meeting, but would work with the city to mitigate residents’ concerns as much as possible.
Of particular concern, she said, is a proposed access to the property on St. Charles Lake Road, which is in close proximity to where a school bus picks up and lets off children.
McIntosh said she would work with city staff to see what they can do using existing tools “to slow traffic and dissuade them from using that back entrance.”
The development, called Maple Leaf Centre, is slated to include an eight-pump gas station with a car wash and convenience store, four restaurants (including two with drive-throughs), and two units for retail use.
It will be located at the northwest corner of Long Lake Road and St. Charles Lake Road, between The Four Corners and Walmart.
The development was recommended for approval by city administration, with city planner Glen Ferguson noting it largely complies with existing zoning requirements, “and the site-specific relief that is required is minimal and appropriate in this particular setting.”
Area residents, many of whom with properties in a residential neighbourhood to the property’s immediate west, came out to oppose the project during today’s meeting.
Although only a dozen residents attended the afternoon meeting, resident Lorraine Campbell said that it was largely due to the fact that many of them were unable to attend due to work obligations.
Campbell helped organize a 196-name petition opposing the development, which McIntosh tabled with city council earlier this month. Various letters opposing the project were also included in Monday’s agenda package.
Area resident Carolyn Djaferis kicked off Monday’s public hearing by telling the committee that she will be able to see the development from her second-floor living room window, “in all of its well-lit glory.”
With many young families in the neighbourhood, she said parents are concerned about increased traffic in the area.
“How livable and safe will this area be once this development is complete?” she asked. “This community is not unlike Andy Griffith’s Mayberry.”
Noise and light pollution will accompany the development, she said, alongside fuel and food odours, “unsettling what has always been a quiet and friendly neighbourhood.”
Innovating Planning Solutions junior planner Lauren Jeffrey presented on the development, and told the committee that streetlights will emit more light on area residences than the development and that a two-metre tall opaque noise attenuation fence will be erected alongside a planting strip across the length of the property abuting the residential neighbourhood to the west.
Refuse containers will be installed which minimize odour by storing waste partially underground, where it’s cooler.
The majority of traffic going into the development is anticipated to come from Long Lake Road, with only 80 vehicles per day anticipated to come from St. Charles Lake Road. Of these 80 vehicles, city traffic and asset management supervisor Joe Rocca said only approximately 10 are anticipated to make a left-hand turn into the property.
Developer Mark Eplett said they aren’t planning any signs fronting the exclusively residential Brenda Drive to the west, and would “work hard to make good neighbours for the area.”
Although existing city infrastructure is largely able to accommodate the project, an undersized length of pipe will need to be replaced before sanitary sewer infrastructure is up to snuff. The project can’t proceed until this is the case. If the developer chooses to proceed prior to the city replacing the pipe (it’s not in the current three-year plan), the developer will have to pay for it.
With much of the development slated to accommodate vehicles (gas station, car wash, drive-through restaurants), area resident Philip Zylberberg reminded the city’s elected officials about city council’s unanimous decision to declare a climate emergency in 2019. He argued the development is not in keeping with the city’s Community Energy and Emissions Plan goals.
“They shouldn’t be approving things that are that carbon negative,” Zylberberg told Sudbury.com after Monday’s vote to approve the project. “I’m not surprised that they’re still doing it. There’s no such thing as waking up one day one (and) doing things totally different from the day before.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
