It looks like a few more residents will be living in Arthur’s East Ridge Landing subdivision.
The subdivision, under development for the past few years, is owned by 2073022 Ontario Limited and represented by Jim Coffey.
Amendments proposed at a public meeting on May 3 would rezone two corner lots on a portion of Schmidt Drive to allow semi-detached dwellings. The rezoning would also reduce the minimum required exterior side yard from 24.9 feet to 20 feet, to accommodate proposed building plans.
Planner Mark Van Patter considered the change “a fairly simple rezoning application. Semi-detached dwellings are being proposed on two comer lots.” He added the lots themselves are already approved by the county, and the application is to alter the intensity of use.
“It’s a pretty basic rezoning. In addition, minor relief from exterior side yard is being proposed in order to accommodate the dwelling design. I do not have any concerns with what is being proposed.”
Van Patter said the homes will still meet the required front yard setback. He said adding semi-detached units in the subdivision could be a good thing – a bit of variety and intensification.
As for the sideyards, normally the width is required to allow widening of adjacent roads if needed. He considered the 4.9 foot adjustment as minor.
Concerns were raised by area homeowners.
One asked that better mapping be provided to offer more perspective on the location of the proposal in regard to other properties.
Nathan Myers, who owns an adjacent lot, is concerned with the change, primarily because when he bought his lot, he specifically asked what nearby development would be.
“One of the first questions we asked was what was going in next to us.”
He was aware there might be townhomes or linkhomes in vicinity in the future.
“The reason we bought lot 39 was because we were told it would be a home [on the adjacent lot]. My concern is that it is going to lower my property values. Perhaps not today or tomorrow. Why would someone buy a 3,000 square foot home when there is a semi-detached home next to it?”
Myers asked if the minor variance is allowed for those two lots, if he could fence his property a further five feet out. He asked what would happen to the lots between the semi-detached homes. He contended if all those lots were to change to semi-detached, it would change things considerably for him as an owner.
Van Patter said the changes affected only the two corner lots and a public process would be needed.
Dale Robinson, who has lot 16 on Carrol Street, had similar concerns. “When I moved to Arthur from Guelph, the stipulation was what was going to be built around us.” He understood the existing subdivision was intended to be single detached dwellings.
“I built here for that reason.” If this change is allowed, he questioned what would happen next. “I didn’t build a house of this size to be beside a semi-detached.”
He said people thought they were moving into an area of single homes, and now developers are trying to rezoning it, Robinson said.
James Coffey, who is proposing the change, said he owns a number of development and rental properties in Arthur.
“We have 12 bungalow style apartments on Domville Street, which were built several years ago. They are currently full. We have more demand for these types of rentals.”
He said the proposal was for bungalow style rental units, “very tastefully done, and I think it would suite the development.”
Van Patter pointed out that in the future, “It is unlikely we will see single family developments.”
He suggested that today, the county would not approve a subdivision comprised entirely of single detached dwellings.
East Ridge Landing is an older development, although still under construction, so approvals were given some time ago, Van Patter explained.
“We’ve lived in this world of single detached houses. It’s just not do-able anymore,” Van Patter said. He said in the future all subdivisions will have an element of townhouses or semi-detached housing.
Van Patter added the drive to intensification is a result of Places to Grow legislation that affects Wellington County.
The move is to achieve 6.5 homes per acre, “but you can’t do that in a single family dwelling development,” and meet that provincial regulation.
Later that night, council passed a bylaw to allow semi-detached homes on the two lots.
