Main image: Rendering of one of 16 multi-residential buildings proposed as part of a condominium development on Town Line Road East. The buildings are made up of stacked townhouses, some with flat roofs and others with peaked roofs.
The site plan for a significant condominium development proposed at 119 and 195 Town Line Rd East, which would comprise 175 dwelling units and one amenity building, received unanimous approval from Huntsville’s planning committee at its December 9 meeting.
Conspicuously missing was any discussion surrounding an application that has garnered much attention due to the clearcutting of mature trees, particularly visible along the ridgeline from Forbes Hill Drive. Many criticized the applicant, Investecs Developments Inc., for clearing significant swaths of land without an approved site plan in place. But because the municipality does not have a tree cutting or site alteration bylaw, preparing a site for development before approvals are in place is not prohibited.
Cries from the community, devastated with the number of trees that had come down, prompted the municipality to fast track a Community Development Permit System for Huntsville, which would, among other things, give the municipality more control over the cutting of trees. (Stay tuned for more on this).
Huntsville manager of planning, Richard Clark, told committee that the proposed development would be constructed in three phases. The first phase would involve the creation of 58 units, spread across two, 15-unit, three-story stacked townhouse buildings; two, 12-unit, three-story stacked townhouse buildings; and one, four-unit, three-story row townhouse building.
According to a report by Clark to committee, the two lots on which the development would be constructed comprise an area of about 6.85 hectares (about 17 acres) and have 65 metres of frontage on Fairy Lake.
The lands were subject to a 1995 Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) settlement, which allowed a multi-residential development on the lands. In Huntsville’s 2019 Official Plan the lands are designated Residential-Lookout, according to Clark. “Land uses permitted within the Residential-Lookout designation include a variety of low and medium-density housing and open space,” he noted in his report. “To ensure development is appropriately sensitive to the prominent location of the lands, development standards imposed through OMB approval also require maintenance of a minimum of 55% of the site as landscaped open space to complement and enhance the scenic character of the area and adjacent water resources. Site specific zoning standards also require that development be terraced in general harmony with the existing topography and tree line of the site by restricting building locations to four general areas, and controlling building heights, lot coverage and densities in each.”
Clark also noted that the applicant had submitted various studies in support of the development, including an Environmental Impact Study.
“This study concluded that the development would result in no negative impacts on the natural heritage features within and adjacent to the lands, and their ecological functions, provided recommended mitigation measures are implemented. In this instance, recommended mitigation measures include fish habitat avoidance recommendations and mitigation measures for proposed dock and amenity areas along the Fairy Lake shoreline frontage including setbacks and vegetation retention; timing windows for vegetation removal in significant wildlife habitat areas and areas likely to be occupied by species at risk bats; installation of bat boxes to offset removal of roosting and maternity habitat for bats; and sediment and erosion control measures to be implemented and continuously monitored throughout the entire development process.”
The development will be required to be on municipal water and sewer services “[a]s the existing water and sewer service infrastructure located along Forbes Hill Drive is currently in the ownership of the Town of Huntsville, the connection of new residential development to that infrastructure would not be permitted as it would constitute private communal sewage and water servicing. The transfer of these assets to the District of Muskoka is currently under investigation with the Town of Huntsville and will be required to be completed prior to the approval of this development,” noted Clark.
He said a Traffic Impact Study had also been conducted, as per the requirement that roads providing access to new development areas must have the capacity to accommodate the additional traffic. The Traffic Impact Study conducted for the applicant concluded “the proposed development would not necessitate intersection improvements at Town Line Road East and Brunel Road and would have minimal impact overall. The District of Muskoka retained consulting services to conduct a peer review of this study and the peer review consultant agreed with the conclusions and recommendations outlined in the Traffic Impact Study.”
The OMB agreement also details setbacks required from Fairy Lake as well as building height restrictions, particularly when viewed from the lake. You can find staff’s full report at this link and a related story about this development here.
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The clear cutting of the site uncovered the heritage ski hills that once gave Huntsville a name in winter recreation in Ontario and beyond. At the time (1930’s) residents and visitors had no difficulties skiing through the forests. Now the forests have been removed so residents can sit in their condos and try to imagine that glorious past.
Could council have at least selected someone to be a dissenting voice here! Did no ones tummy flip a bit when they looked at the rendering for this building? I mean , gee whiz people! These places must be dead gorgeous inside because in my opinion the exterior is reminiscent of early Soviet ‘block’ with some pokey-hats stuck on. How novel! The design doesn’t display any style or grace in my opinion. Frank Lloyd where are you?
But if you hammer on some vinyl siding or press board made of ground up trees (?) we might realise it was necessary to tone down the natural beauty of the site.
There seems to be some concern about bats, although I’m sure they were doing alright when they still had the trees and for fish, although up there…..! But anything else that walks, hops or crawls will have to fend for itself.
But it seems this can happen here when an area, pretty much untouched since the glacier receded becomes fodder for developers.
C’mon guys! One dissenting vote.
The town of Huntsville?
Welcome to the City Of Huntsville!
Perhaps this is what council has in mind?
In my past dealings with the town of Huntsville, it became clear that if they could make money nothing else mattered.
The devastation of the once beautiful Fairy Lake will soon be complete. The ridge line view from the water is so sad. Well done town council…I now have an issue for the next election and each councilors voting record on this, and all the other developments, need to be made public.
I really wish that the town did have a bylaw with regards to clear cutting and leaving some trees on a site that would leave an aesthetically pleasing view.. between the building site and the road or nearby homes. I feel that little by little we are losing the very things that we have loved about Muskoka. I love Muskoka and am very concerned about where we are heading.
“Residential; Look out!” indeed.
“landscaped open space to complement and enhance the scenic character of the area”
“timing windows for vegetation removal in significant wildlife habitat areas”
Greedy, dirty nonsense. I agree with asking what the hell’s going on. Unanimous, no controversy? Is Huntsville council just hoping the District does not approve?
Surely there is a less impactful space for these buildings.
Maybe the Town should consider spending your tax dollars to build a public museum to house all those “heritage” trees that are currently located on other people’s private property?
Yeah. That screams Muskoka. Clear cut trees? No problem. Go ahead. We will chat later .
This reminds me of the 8plex I went to bat for the people of Hilltop Drive to not have built and was told by a town councilor it would fit in with the surrounding properties. Take a drive to Hilltop. Yep. Fits right in . Hate to say this as a Huntsville native but what the hell is happening here?
When do we vote again? Next thing you know we will be trying to promote our town and get more visitors this winter…..oh wait…did that . Yikes.
“The study concluded that the development would result in no negative impact to the natural, heritage features…”. I guess a whole swath of heritage trees don’t count until after you have the “impact study” in your hot little hand; collateral damage. If I’m reading this correctly, a unanimous vote with no discussion of the clear cut, still leaves the build in jeopardy if the District doesn’t take on the project.