Guelph-Eramosa council has approved a zoning bylaw amendment for the new 211-unit Bonarrow Meadows subdivision at the north end of Rockwood, surrounding the new Sacred Heart Catholic School.
The developer, Charleston Homes, submitted two applications. The first was for approval of the subdivision where Wellington County is the approval authority and the second was for a zoning bylaw amendment, which is in the hands of Guelph-Eramosa Township.
At the Oct. 3 meeting council removed the holding provision on the property and added a special provision to allow for smaller lots, street townhouses and rezoning of land to open space for the storm water management and pumping station areas.
The subdivision consists of three different zones: village residential low density, village residential low density with a holding zone and some of the areas are subject to a special provision that permits the school and the church on the property, township planning consultant Mitchell Avis explained.
The subdivision will have a combination of detached homes and townhouse blocks. There will also be two storm water management ponds, a sewage pumping station and walkways to the school.
“There are two street widths proposed in the planned subdivision, 18 metres and 20 metres and the primary difference between the two is that the 20 metre roads have sidewalks on both sides and the 18 metre roads have sidewalks on just one side,” Avis said.
“The intent or desire from the township was to ensure that there’s sort of a full connection around the subdivision of a 20-metre road allowance.”
Charleston Homes would also have to ensure services such as sidewalks and watermains are brought up to the subdivision for the use of the houses and residents, Avis said.
The extension of Christie Street that is recommended to go through the subdivision will curve at the point where it meets the Rockmosa parking lot to discourage people from using the parking lot as an alternate entrance to the subdivision. The township has also requested a raised walkway at the front of the Rockwood library to encourage traffic calming.
Avis also said there was concern about fencing to distinguish between public and private property.
“What we have proposed here, what we are providing here is a conceptual fencing plan,” he said. “There is in the draft recommended conditions, a requirement that fencing be provided to the satisfaction of the township.”
He said the two types of fencing recommended are chain link and privacy fencing. The chain link would be around the perimeter of the subdivision and anywhere that public and private lands meet. The recommendation is to install privacy fencing along the backs of the existing homes on Wellington Road 27 when they abut onto the new subdivision, Avis explained.
He added the tree compensation must work with the fencing because there might be areas where fencing is not required because there’s adequate vegetation.
The developer will negotiate with those homeowners to decide if they’d like the fence or a tree buffer.
“We are recommending a one-to-one compensation ratio; for every tree that they remove that’s in good health they will replace it with a tree,” Avis said.
In addition to the zoning bylaw amendment approval, the township also submitted comments to the county regarding the subdivision application.
One of the township’s requests was to move the 50km/h speed limit sign on Wellington Road 27 farther north so it’s not directly in route of the proposed road to the subdivision, Avis said.
“Also, adding traffic calming or slowing cars down further up the road as they enter Rockwood,” he added.
