FERGUS – Adding more traffic to an already busy Highway 6 was the only comment against a proposed residential development at the New to You store property in Fergus.
The issue was raised at a public meeting on the proposal on Aug. 31.
“I’m not opposed to housing, and I’m not opposed to New to You,” Fergus resident Lori Armstrong told council.
“But there will be traffic impact from this. There are times we can’t get out of our driveway now.”
The New to You store sells used, donated items to benefit the Groves Hospital Foundation.
It is operated by the Groves Hospital Volunteer Association, which owns about five acres of land on St. David Street North (Highway 6) on the north end of Fergus, including the store.
The proposal is to increase the size of New to You, add more parking for the store, and to develop the land behind the store for residential use.
Reid’s Heritage Homes will purchase that parcel of land from the volunteer association and hopes to build stacked townhouses with 112 residential units.
The units will be about 1,200 square feet with two bedrooms and a private balcony or patio.
There will be 135 parking spots (1.2 per unit), a common trail, and a small playground. They should sell for about $500,000 depending on market conditions, interest rates and the cost of materials.
The plan requires a zoning change – from C2 highway commercial to C2 highway commercial exception.
The intention is for the site to be severed with the volunteer association owning the New to You store and parking area, and for Reid’s to own the residential parcel.
They will both share a common driveway, however, and it’s this, and the traffic study, that worries Armstrong, who lives on St. David Street North (Highway 6) directly across from the proposed new driveway.
A transportation study suggests the development will have no impact on existing traffic.
Fergus resident Lori Armstrong raised issues about traffic at a public meeting about a proposal to add residential units at the New to You property on Highway 6 in Fergus. Screenshot from Aug. 31 meeting
“It’s crazy-busy there all the time,” Armstrong told council, especially on the weekend, “and the weekend starts on Thursday.”
She wondered if the access point could be moved to Gordon Street, which is less busy and where traffic lights already exist at Gordon and St. David St. N.
Many councillors shared Armstrong’s concern about traffic.
“It’s a lot of units feeding onto the highway,” councillor Steven VanLeeuwen said.
“There could be future costs to the township, especially if there’s more development.”
Councillors Bob Foster, Kirk McElwain and Stephen Kitras also voiced concern with traffic.
“This is MTO land, not ours,” answered managing director of planning and development Brett Salmon.
“The MTO will determine where the entrance should go.”
Councillor Ian MacRae wanted to know if the sidewalk that will be installed along Highway 6 and the amenity trails in the proposed plan could connect with existing trails and sidewalks in the area.
He also wanted to ensure that at least some of the units would be accessible.
“Few people realize that the Ontario Building Code does not require an elevator in a four-storey stacked townhouse, unlike a four-storey apartment building,” MacRae wrote in a follow-up email.
“While conforming to the building code, this proposed structure does not address the need to provide housing accessible to all residents.”
Caroline Baker, a principal at Baker Planning Group, spoke on behalf of the volunteer association and Reid’s Heritage Homes.
She said the proponents are open to hearing feedback and are willing to explore suggestions.
No decision was made at the meeting.
The Ministry of Transportation will provide its feedback on the proposal and council will consider the application at a future date.
