FERGUS – If the displays that drew the biggest crowds at the township open house are any indication, Centre Wellington residents are most concerned about the Fergus South Secondary Plan and the population growth that will bring.
And that’s not all the growth the township will see, said Mayor Shawn Watters during the mayor’s town hall portion of the evening, held at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex on May 16.
Centre Wellington is to grow from 30,000 to 60,000 people in the next 10 or 15 years, he said – a decision made by the province that leaves township staff and council grappling with the implications.
The Fergus south development will house 6,000 people, said Dave Aston, a planner with MHBC hired by the township to work on the development.
The display showed the plan for drainage, water and wastewater infrastructure and a loose road pattern.
About 50 people came out to the Centre Wellington Open House and Mayor’s Town Hall on May 16 and most clustered around the display for the Fergus South Secondary Plan. Photo by Joanne Shuttleworth
As well as single family homes, there are to be apartment buildings, townhouses and commercial/retail outlets among the offerings.
The other displays hosted by each township department also underscored that the township is preparing for growth.
Some road improvements, such as the Beatty Line project, are in response to growth.
Construction of phase two of the Storybrook subdivision on Beatty Line north of Colborne Street is now underway and many of the phase one homes are now occupied.
Beginning this summer, Beatty Line is to be reconstructed with curbs, gutters and storm sewers, medians and turn lanes, a roundabout at Colborne Street and an off-road multi-use path that will connect with the Elora Cataract trail.
Water and wastewater projects are also being planned in advance of growth.
A new, central operations centre, to be constructed in Fergus, will make delivering services more efficient, officials say.
And the new Fergus Business Park expects to begin installing infrastructure servicing in June, with lots going up for sale perhaps by this fall, said manager of economic development George Borovilos.
“It’s happening faster than anticipated and coming in under budget,” he told the Advertiser.
“And interest is high” from businesses wanting to relocate here.
Kathleen Devine, senior municipality relations manager with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, presented a cheque for $3.02 million to the township at the event as well.
Kathleen Devine, manager of municipality relations with OLG, presented the township with a $3.022 million at the Open House and Mayor’s Town Hall on May 16. Photo by Joanne Shuttleworth
This is the township’s portion of proceeds from the Elements Casino from April 2022 to April 2023.
Devine said OLG has contributed a total $39 million to Centre Wellington since the casino opened 20 years ago – funds that have largely been used for roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects.
Watters used his time at the mic to prepare his audience for what he sees as the greatest challenge to Centre Wellington: growth.
Watters said while the province has dictated that 1,000 acres be added to the township’s urban boundary, “it is (council’s) intent to reduce (that) to 700 acres,” he said.
Urban Centre Wellington is surrounded by some of the best farmland in the country, Watters added.
Agriculture is big business in Centre Wellington and Wellington County, and making buildings taller and adding density within the township’s current urban boundary will keep the township from having to eat up farmland to accommodate growth.
“It’s so important to be smart,” he said.
Watters invited questions through his talk and most were growth related.
Attendees drew attention to the need for more schools and community centres, to parking, traffic, and the need for a variety of housing types and price points.
One woman said while she was born and raised in Fergus and still works there, she can’t afford to live in Fergus.
She said she’s been on the wait list for community housing for four years and recently learned it will be another four to six years before housing is available.
“We need to advocate for public housing,” she said.
“I really want to live in this town, but I need affordable housing. I am the working poor.”
Watters was sympathetic to the concerns and emphasized that master planning – for roads, water, sewage, recreation facilities, parking and the like – is underway and will plan for and accommodate future needs.
“That works into the housing strategy as well,” he said.
“It’s all about building a complete community.
“Centre Wellington is such a gem. It will be interesting times for this council.”
