A development proposed by Sandford Investments Corporation for an estimated 25 hectares of land adjacent to the new Fairvern Nursing Home was before a special Planning Council meeting held on Wednesday, May 28.
The lands have a civic address of 13 Madeline Street and 0 Shay Road.
The applicant is proposing a residential development comprised of six high-density residential development blocks containing a mix of multiple residential apartment buildings and townhouses, resulting in a total of 600 residential dwellings.
According to Claude Doughty, one of the Directors and the main driver behind Sandford Investments Corp., the corporation will develop the plan, install a private road that will connect with Shay Road and Centre Street North, and install the necessary water and sewer infrastructure. The corporation will subsequently sell the development blocks to developers.
“Claude’s developments are often very large, which is very scary, it’s really changing Huntsville a lot. I do have faith that Claude’s work as a developer is very good and I would rather it be him than an outside developer. He lives here. He loves Huntsville. He wants to leave a good legacy for what he’s done here in Huntsville and I know that for a fact,” said Huntsville Councillor Bob Stone who is the chair of the Huntsville Planning Council.
“He’s intensifying small areas and trying to maintain the trees and the natural environment around these developments while still getting the 600 units, and by having these planning approvals in place, it would take a lot for someone to change what we have decided is OK. It’s huge, and it’s right in our core, but it was inevitable, and so I would rather have a developer like Claude doing this than someone from Toronto.”
Stone added that you cannot stop growth, but you can try to guide it. “You can’t hold that back, and so we’re trying to manage our growth and what that looks like and put plans in place for the future,” he said, adding that the Town’s Planning Department is currently developing policy for the height and density of developments and how and where those will unfold. Stone said growth in Huntsville is a good thing economically, but “it’s disturbing when you’re trying to hang on to what Huntsville was, and still is, a small town. What does that mean? We’re all struggling with that question. We need to keep a close eye on the future and what we need to protect going forward.”
Sandford Investments Corp is also the donor of the lands on which the new Fairvern Nursing Home is being developed and is the developer behind the lands where the new commercial plaza on Hanes Road and Centre Street N is located, which was later sold to Urban Retail Inc.
The developer was also asking the Town to recommend the approval of their plan of subdivision to the District so it can proceed with the road work required “because Fairvern needs a road finished in front of it and the sewer and water connected like right away,” said Doughty who explained that the south side of Fairvern, which will be the front entrance, will be accessed through the new road being created which will be called Paisley Avenue. The west side of Fairven will have access through a side entrance on Centre Street N.
Doughty said the density of what’s being proposed on the lands beside Fairvern will be seen from Paisley Avenue but it will not be prominent from anywhere else. “You won’t see anything from the north. You won’t see anything from the south. On Hwy. 60, you’ll see a little bit and the impact from Centre Street N won’t be twice as much as Fairvern. The building across the road from Fairven will be much, much smaller than Fairvern. Fairvern is what will dominate that landscape. The rest of the stuff will be half as tall as Faiververn.”
Doughty noted that there will be several conservation and green amenity areas, including a multi-use trail connection. “The entire property is about close to twice as big as the developable area is. So the developable area is about 35 acres, and there’s almost the same amount of property that will be left in its natural state.”
Doughty said the exact mix of rental and owned housing will depend on the developers. “I would expect there’ll be a mix of all of the above. There will probably be some affordable housing as well. It’s a great location because it’s so central, and people can walk to a lot of things and not need cars.”
He also spoke of the housing that Fairvern staff will need. “There’ll be at least 150 people working there because it’s 24-7, they’ll have four shifts of people working there.” He also said the development will offer nearby housing that a spouse of a resident at Fairvern may seek.
When asked how long he thinks it will take to develop the 600 units, Doughty estimated that it will take anywhere from 10 to 20 years.
Huntsville’s Planning Committee has granted the project conditional approval.
See the Draft Plan of Subdivision below:
You can find the staff report HERE. Some additional conditions related to height, curbs, and sidewalks have been amended.
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I was just at a Muskoka Conservancy general meeting where the featured guest speaker Rebecca Kolaric, Environmental Defence said that the optimal buffer for wetlands from developed areas is 150m not 120 m as previously or possibly 30 m as seems to be more recently the rule. I assume the optimal buffer is for flood protection for the developments. With the natural heritage block 9 and the Block 11 SWM(sewage water management?) Pond adjacent to Block 3 residential and also the existing residential, I hope this will be sufficient in future circumstances of density, services and weather.
This story seemed to lose velocity in a hurry. But in the words of the developer, it could be hanging around for 10 or twenty years. Kind of like Forbes Hill. Perched there on the horizon like big warts in the center of devastation.
I suppose this project is still before council, but I do question one of the utterings from councilor Stone. As to “Claude’s developments are often very large which is very scary”. Please! A land developer is just that, a land developer. And there is land to be divested of? We don’t need council that is scared.
What will be I suppose. I sure look forward to having another piece of ground clear cut, stripped and blasted. The guts ripped out of it for another 10 or 20 years.
Mr. Stone , I find that scary.
I am concerned about the lack of consideration for wild animals and nature these plans give. Huntsville gives no indication or action to help the displaced animals these plans give.
Why?
Is there a lot missing in the explanation for this proposal or am I just not seeing it? These blocks are to be serviced and sold to ‘developers’. Okay so far, but do the developers get a plan of the desired footprint of their development? How many buildings, units, affordable spaces?
If not, how does council know how many units are to be built until they get a definite plan from said developer? What if the developer doesn’t want to be part of the building of the future downtown Huntsville barrio? What if he decides he will only build to the extent that he can manage and still turn a profit? True: the council can refuse the contractors plan, but then said builder might promise to supply 11 “affordable’ units and the refusal might melt like snow in hell.
It can be called a ‘big’ idea, but I think we need a lot of assurances and fleshing out of the ‘plan’. I put the ‘plan’, because we already have a town plan that gets punted around like a soccer ball on a practice pitch.
We had a Waterloo building that was a big idea, but without assurances, it was an idea that we couldn’t afford.
Before any more talks or negotiations/discussions take place there needs to be additional land added to the existing plot of land Fairvern is presently being built on. With the increase in population of Huntsville, within ten years Fairvern will need to expand. Now is the time to make sure there is sufficient area available for the next fifty years.
This prposal will destry Huntsville which already is under distress. Not only is our infrastructure a disaster and not able to supprt current populatioons but this reckless Mayor, Council and District disregarding the need to understand what we want as a vision for HUntsville that residents embrace. Constantly I hear residents state this town is a leaderless and it is time wer need to resist the constant approvals supporting devevelopers by Council. WE do not want to become the Barrrie of the North.
There’s so much more in Huntsville to be done than a 600 house development that just destroys wildlife and nature
And as always, no concrete answer on any affordable options….why isnt it a mandate from the town that a specific # of units be rent geared to income.
And i hope developers, esp if theyr “from here” realize that ANY WORKING PERSON and even most seniors up here NEEDS A CAR to get to work or do groceries, esp in the winter and bettr plan for tht!
This development dynamically changes the hinterland or natural beauty of Huntsville to something it is not. It endangers the natural beauty and sets precedent for unchecked expansion putting stress on the limited infrastructure and impacting the parks.
I think the current infrastructure is at capacity. Let’s hope the hospital can keep up with the volume of new residents. , considering the majority of new residents will not have a family physician. Bonnie Hopson
Huntsville is barely servicing the current population!. The roads are horrendous, no sidewalks, no doctors, limited parking….why not fix what is here before new construction and 600 plus more. I think in the future Huntsville will regret all this building. People want to be here for the small town atmosphere not as an extension of the city!!
With the birth rate in Canada at about 1.4, immigration being cut back to about half of what it has been, and sales dropping, where are all the buyers, for this, and other developments going to come from? Is anyone seriously looking at the evolving demographics for Huntsville? Yes, there is a need for low cost housing but so often what is developed is nothing close to this need. Already in Toronto condo sales are in trouble. What makes Huntsville any different? The housing boom seems to be over, at least for now. The question is when will it come back? Especially during these times of upset due to the US tariffs and other decisions being made by the current US regime, all leading to job losses in Canada. Again, where are the buyers coming from? Is town planning considering these dynamics. It ultimately hits the tax base as well.
Commitment to a specific amount of affordable housing is a priority. Town should have a say in mix of rental and owned to ensure our housing crisis is addressed.
Put my name on the list for a unit……oh wait..I’ll be 100 years old. Forget it!