Too much density, or not enough? 91原创 Township council heard both opinions from speakers as it considered a series of changes to neighbourhood plans for South Brookswood on Monday, July 10.
Speakers at the public hearing on the Booth, Rinn, and Fernridge neighbourhood plans also raised issues of tree protection and housing affordability as the multi-year community planning process continued.
鈥淗igher density would bring home prices down and help fund infrastructure,鈥� said Murray Scott, a longtime resident who was asking for his property to see higher zoning to make up for streamside setback land, as he lives near the Little Campbell River.
On the opposite side were residents like Judith Strain, who thought that there were too many 4,000 and 7,000 square foot lots in the revised plans.
鈥淪treets lined with homes like this create parking lots as there is not enough room for the cars, and certainly no space on the property for children to kick a ball around,鈥� Strain said.
READ ALSO: Brookswood plans revised again at 91原创 Township council
Last November, the council kickstarted some major changes to neighbourhood plans for three of the four neighbourhoods in South Brookswood, under the new Brookswood Official Community Plan (OCP) approved in 2017. The old draft plans were no longer economical, according to a report, so they were re-written.
After public open houses and a first public hearing in May, the council asked for a number of significant revisions, which were so extensive they required a new hearing.
If all the changes in the latest version of the plans are approved by council, it would reduce the projected population for the three neighbourhoods, once full built out, from 63,000 people in the last version, down to 46,000 in the new, modified version.
Several of the speakers were worried by the speed of the changes. The previous draft of the neighbourhood plans were presented at a public open house before moving on to the public hearing, but this draft went straight to the public hearing alone.
鈥淧ublic engagement is extremely important to get the final result,鈥� said Bob Langston, who asked for another public open house, where residents could talk to staff in detail about the changes.
The owner of Cedar Creek Estates mobile home park said he was upset that this new revision changes the property from a single-family zoning to a manufactured home park zoning 鈥� which would protect it from being redeveloped.
鈥淲e were blindsided by the recent amendments made to our property鈥檚 zoning,鈥� said Louie Bortolazzo.
He said the majority of his tenants were onside with the property being zoned for single family housing, and that he had 鈥渁n agreement鈥� with the Township on that matter.
A contentious hearing in 2018 over the matter saw duelling petitions presented and accusations of bullying and lying by the ownership and tenants.
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Residents also brought up the loss of large trees off some development lots, and the potential to lose more.
鈥淢any many trees are already falling in Brookswood,鈥� said Kelly Keyworth. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e falling at an alarming rate.鈥�
The protection of trees and the local aquifer have been major themes in the debate over Brookswood鈥檚 future since work began on the OCP back in 2013.
After hearing from several dozen people over two hours, the public hearing wrapped up.
The plan will be debated again by council on July 24.
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