Dear Editor:
RE: WrightHaven Homes presents new proposed plan of subdivision in Inverhaugh, July 25.
I want to reiterate that my concerns about the proposed subdivision centre around the impact an additional 40 houses will have on our hamlet and for our township.
It is the responsibility of the township and county to consider the impacts of growth on a community. They need to ensure that they have the funds and ability to mitigate negative impacts. The official plan and the Strategic Plan for the 2019-22 term of the Centre Wellington council provide a roadmap for how the township and county believe development should be handled.
Any rezoning changes or plans of subdivision should be based on all relevant sections of both of these plans, including the sections about complete communities, healthy growth, safe and well maintained roads, and the development of “sustainable” and “healthy” communities.
Any plan of subdivision should be based on up-to-date studies that explore the impact on the entire community, in this case the entire hamlet of Inverhaugh. The studies need to consider previously approved building (30 houses in the process of being sold and built in the hamlet area), the amount of land left within the hamlet boundaries (none), and account for the current political situation which places increased funding demands on municipalities for services such as public health.
I would like to see the results of these studies proving that the proposed development is environmentally and financially sustainable and consistent with the needs of a healthy community.
In this case, the proposed plan of subdivision will impact the hamlet, township and county. It will impact traffic in the area and I am concerned about the costs of improving roads and intersections to move cars, bicycles and pedestrians safely.
It will impact the families who will have 40 houses worth of new neighbours. What will the cost of a neighbourhood park be so that people can gather and play in order to build healthy, active communities?
Will the small subdivisions that exist be connected in a way that allows people to interact without driving?
This is just a short list of issues to address to ensure our neighbourhood will be sustainable and healthy. How will we know if the development charges, a cash-in-lieu of parkland payment and the tax base from these houses will cover the expenses associated with the impact of 40 new houses and 40 new families now and for the next 20 years?
I moved to a community that I love. I have been here just over a year and I can name almost all the neighbours on my street. We gather for neighbourhood barbecues and participate in holiday celebrations as a community.
I want our hamlet to continue to be a sustainable, healthy community for everyone who lives here now and in the future.
Katie Fallis,
Ariss