CENTRE WELLINGTON – Developers and landowners lined up on Oct. 15 to tell council why the proposed expanded urban boundary for Fergus and Elora should expand a little further to include their properties too.
Council heard from 14 delegations, each explaining in person or by written submission why their properties should be included.
Most properties were just outside the new proposed boundary; all said they could easily connect to existing water and wastewater services; and each proponent promised a variety of housing types and sizes within their proposals.
A few, like Breymark Homes, which has property just north of the new operations centre to be built on Gartshore Street, worried their property would be land-locked, with no road access.
Others, like Elora Greens, complained the proposed boundary cuts through their property on 1st Line, leaving a parcel of land too small to farm and unable to be developed.
The township knows that to accommodate growth mandated by the province and allotted by Wellington County, it will have to expand its urban boundary.
Council has said numerous times it doesn’t want to gobble up farmland to do so.
At its Sept. 30 meeting, council endorsed the recommendation by Watson and Associates Economists Ltd. to set an intensification rate of 20 per cent and a density rate of 53 people and jobs per hectare.
This results in a need to expand the urban boundary by 326 hectares – 132 hectares for community land needs, which include residential, commercial, schools and such, and 194 hectares for employment land.
That breaks down to 43 hectares for the Elora-Salem urban centre and 89 hectares for the Fergus urban centre, plus 194 hectares of employment land.
It also represents a net land need savings of 72 hectares (178 acres) from what Wellington County staff had calculated because of the higher density rate.
Managing director of planning Brett Salmon presented a report on Oct. 15 indicating the recommended boundary expansion, but most importantly, the map.
It indicates the seven areas – five in Fergus and two in Elora – proposed to become part of the new urban boundary.
All of the areas proposed for the settlement area boundary expansion are beside the existing urban centre and, in most cases, there are existing municipal sewer and/or water services available either in the road allowances adjacent to the proposed expansion areas or would be available when other land already in the urban boundary is developed, such as south Fergus.
In most cases, the proposed expansion areas are surrounded by existing development that is within the urban boundary. These new areas “round out” the existing boundary, Salmon said.
He explained the rationale:
- Area A: services are available, and the proposed boundary eliminates the odd notch of the existing boundary;
- Area B: this land is across from Centre Wellington District High School and will connect with services installed in the South Fergus Secondary Plan;
- Area C: this is designated employment land south of 2nd Line in Fergus, chosen for its proximity to Highway 6. A hydro corridor runs through this property. This is where the battery storage facility requested by Aypa Power could be located;
- Area D: this land is near Groves Memorial Community Hospital and Beatty Line, “and is the last undeveloped parcel in that sector,” Salmon said;
- Area E: this is in north Fergus and the boundary follows the edge of a wetland;
- Area F: this is beside the Haylock and Youngblood developments in Elora “and is viewed as infill development,” Salmon explained; and
- Area G: this land south of 1st Line in Elora would be employment land, chosen for its proximity to Wellington Road 7 and to existing industry.
Salmon said the new boundary “matches exactly” the land necessary to meet the land needs requirements.
“Although we heard knowledgeable presentations (from the delegations), those requests add more land than we’ve added to the boundary,” he noted.
He said it’s challenging to find employment land.
“We think south Fergus and south Elora provide the best opportunities.”
According to the transportation master plan, 2nd Line is set to become an urban road with curbs and gutters and will be better able to handle truck traffic.
And because those lands already have non-agricultural uses, they will be compatible with industrial.
Council received the report for information.
It will return to council for approval at a future date.
Then it will go to Wellington County for an official plan amendment and public consultation, and then to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs for final approval.
