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Delayed development in Veteran’s Way area vexes residents’ group

May 2, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS, LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

A development in the Hansen Boulevard–Veteran’s Way area has been going on much longer than expected. 

Some residents feel it has been long enough to merit some sort of tax exemption or land tax rebate for the inconvenience.

Aiken Crescent resident Shane Moores brought that idea to council during its April 29 public meeting. He said the subdivision development has been in the works for the past 10 years. And that’s not a reasonable timeframe.

“We fully appreciate the need for new developments within Orangeville that will help all our residents have access to high quality services and lower the tax burden on all of us,” he said.

“It’s been on and off now for 10 years, resulting in deforesting, increased dust pollution, dangerous driving by truck drivers and construction equipment.”

One of the biggest grievances is the restriction of road access in the area to emergency vehicles and snow-clearing equipment, he said.

Some recent history of the project: On Feb. 17, 2021, council granted draft approval to a plan of subdivision known as the Edgewood Valley Phase 2B Plan.

The lands subject to this subdivision development are southwest of the Blind Line and Hansen Boulevard intersection, immediately to the west of the Meyer Drive and Mason Street residential area.

The 2B Plan will permit the lands to be subdivided to accommodate 51 single detached dwelling lots, 17 on-street townhouses, and a low-density residential block of about 50 condominium townhouses.

It will have open space conservation lands associated with the Lower Monora Creek South tributary. The development will include a stormwater management pond block at the northwest corner of Hansen Boulevard and Blind Line.

The 2B Plan draft approval is subject to a three-year term, which lapsed on Feb. 17.

If all conditions are not met within this period, the draft approval expires, and the applicant would need to start the process over and submit a new draft plan of subdivision application to pursue this development.

The Planning Act enables a draft approval lapsing period to be extended. An applicant can request an extension of their draft approval period and council may grant the extension before the lapsing date.

Council can extend the draft approval for any duration it feels is necessary.

If an extension is not granted, the draft approval would expire upon the lapsing date.

The lands changed hands in July 2022. The new owner, NG Citrus Ltd., requested an extension of another three years on Dec. 7, 2023. The new lapsing date would be Feb. 26, 2026.

The two-year draft approval extension was granted during council’s meeting on Feb. 5, despite Deputy Mayor Todd Taylor’s belief that the municipality has gotten “the shaft” throughout the course of the development.

Taylor was hoping an agreement could be reached to open a bridge in the subdivision area to connect Hansen Boulevard and to have a section of the roadway paved. But he’s learned that there are intricacies involved in a bridge and associated road work.

The deputy mayor acknowledged in February that frustration about the project is high in the community.

Moores asked that council take action to push the developer to at least complete the roadway access between the Veterans’ Way community and Hansen Boulevard. And he asked that council find a way to quell dust pollution if the land in question is to be vacant any longer.

“My understanding is they [the developer] don’t have the funds to complete the project this year or next,” Moores said. “We’re expecting another two to three years of delay. Is there some way of tamping down the dust?”

Mayor Lisa Post said Hansen Boulevard is a significant thoroughfare for the town and the connection in that area is important.

Tim Kocialek, the town’s general manager of infrastructure services, said one of the reasons behind the delay has been that the land had changed hands among three developers.

“It was difficult for them to be able to coordinate the project to be able to construct the road,” Kocialek.

He said a single developer now owns the parcels of land in the area and work has started to design the road. All parties want to see the development completed sooner rather than later.

Regarding Moores’ request for a land tax rebate, Post said there’s nothing in provincial or municipal tax policies to allow for such a break.

“Tax rebates within the town are limited to very, very specific pieces that do meet a criteria set out in the Municipal Act,” she said.

Taylor said council hasn’t been lax or sat back on the situation.

“We are beyond frustrated with the fact that the residents of your area are in the situation you’re in,” he said. “We have uncovered every stone, had every conversation, been aggressive, been polite. Whatever that we could possibly do to change the trajectory, the living conditions in the area in which you live.”

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