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Council reverses previous decision, approves Cachet Developments’ proposed apartments by Veterans Way

June 2, 2022   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

Orangeville Council voted 5-2 on Monday (May 30) to reverse a decision made at their last meeting (May 16) that rejected Cachet Development’s proposed apartment buildings, located by Veterans Way.

Coun. Joe Andrews, who previously voted against final approvals for Cachet Developments, brought forward the motion to approve it, which passed 5-2

During the May 30 meeting, Coun. Andrews explained that he wasn’t comfortable with the development moving forward until there was assurances that the missing link of road along Hansen Blvd. would be completed before Cachet’s apartment buildings are occupied. Once constructed, Cachet’s development will house 383 apartment dwelling units.

Coun. Andrews said he now supports the development, since Cachet has communicated to the Town that their development won’t be occupied until a couple years after Hansen Blvd’s missing link is built.

“I personally had reservations on supporting the bylaw request [to approve the development], despite all of the work that was conducted by town staff and the various points that were referenced pertaining to the Ontario Land Tribunal and possible legal implications if not approved,” he noted.

“On May 25 the developer provided details as for their timelines regarding the proposed development, with the clarity I was personally looking for. That’s the reason for this motion to be presented.”

A letter from Cachet Developments to the Town on May 25 explained that the company understands Council’s concerns about further developing occurring in the area before the Hansen Blvd. extension is built. 

The letter noted that the Hansen Blvd. extension is outside of Cachet’s control, as it will be built by Edgewood Valley Developments, who plans to complete it in the next 12-18 months.

The bridge at Hansen is slated to be built this year while the missing link of road is projected for completion by autumn of 2023.

Meanwhile, Cachet Development’s timeline for first occupancies in their buildings is August or September of 2025, so it’s anticipated that the road will be built before the apartments.

Coun. Todd Taylor and Deputy Mayor Andy Macintosh were the only two votes against Cachet’s development at the May 30 meeting.

Coun. Taylor spoke with the Citizen after initially voting down the approval for Cachet at Council’s May 16 meeting.

He said 10-12 years ago, a past Council passed the development at Veterans Way, which was built without connecting Hansen Blvd, leaving the neighbourhood with only one exit and entrance, leaving the residents there disconnected from the rest of the town.

Coun. Taylor said he can’t vote in favour of Cachet moving forward until the remainder of Hansen Blvd. is built and Deputy Mayor Andy Macintosh has shared a similar sentiment.

Mayor Sandy Brown, who supported the motion at the May 16 meeting and again on May 30, said that Cachet Developments’ proposal was able to move forward after Dufferin County’s Municipal Comprehensive Review determined there was enough employment lands in the area, and the proposed lands could be developed as housing.

Mayor Brown said after this, a few months back, Council was given legal advice and advice from the Town’s planning department to approve a settlement agreement for the lands.

He told the Citizen this took place and when it came back on May 16 it was a “rubber stamp” approval, which detailed past commitments made by the Town, and Council didn’t have the authority to vote no. Mayor Brown added that the cost of going back to the Ontario Land Tribunal, who already approved the development, and fighting it in court could cost the Town up to $500,000.

However, this is now a moot point, as Orangeville has given direction to allow the development to move forward with the 5-2 vote on Monday, following the letter from Cachet that described they won’t be occupying buildings until late 2025 at the earliest.

Coun. Post, who initially voted against the approval on May 16 but supported it on May 30 after Cachet’s letter was received, also shared her stance on the topic with the Citizen. She said there wasn’t an opportunity to get clarification on timelines for the completion of Cachet’s development to ensure it happens after Hansen Blvd is built, so she had to vote no on May 16.

“Trying to keep the population down in that area until that [missing link of Hansen Blvd] is taken care of is what my big concern is. I really wanted a date and a commitment of when Hansen is going to be open,” Coun. Post noted.

She said she is in favour of the development itself and believes it will be beautiful upon completion.

With the new information, respecting timelines, she was able to support the development at the May 30 meeting.

Council’s next meeting is slated for June 13.

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