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Too costly for Orangeville to do subdivision road connection: mayor

October 24, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

Orangeville officials and residents have to wait for a developer to complete work on a planned subdivision before the Hansen Boulevard connection west of Blind Line can be done.

Resident Nick Garisto asked about the contentious issue of the road and related bridge work when council met for a regular meeting on Oct. 21.

“My understanding is the bridge has been done,” he said. “What is the problem?”

He said Mayor Lisa Post had previously told him the land was owned by the developer.

“That’s correct,” Post said.

Garisto said council has the authority to annex the property.

“It would be extremely costly and difficult to go that route because in order for the developer to get building the road they have to put the servicing in for their development first,” Post said.

She said the town could go ahead and construct the road through the property, but it would eventually be torn up when the developer gets set to install services and build residences.

“It would also be a legal issue for us to be able to do that,” she said. “It will be costly for us to take that path with the land. It’s the responsibility of the developer to build the road and they will do it.”

Council expressed in October 2023 that staff had been left in the lurch by a pause in the Edgewood Valley Phase 2B and the Aldenhill subdivisions that will complete the Hansen Boulevard connection west of Blind Line.

The Hansen Boulevard Creek Crossing Bridge Project was planned to be completed by the town because the crossing does not fall centrally within any specific subdivision area and is not clearly tied to any specific development.

Completion of the Hansen Boulevard roadway and underlying services connection was to be completed by NG Citrus Limited, the developer responsible for the subdivision area.

Staff coordinated the creek crossing project closely with the advancement of the nearby subdivision approvals. This was to avoid completing the crossing project too early, which could result in the crossing works languishing while the subdivision and corresponding road construction progressed at the developer’s pace.

And it’s the developer’s pace of work that has been a thorn to municipal officials and area residents.

Draft approval of the Edgewood Valley Phase 2B plan of subdivision was granted in February 2021. A condition of draft approval requires the developer to complete the entire remaining connection of Hansen Boulevard before final approval can be issued for the subdivision.

Final approval of this subdivision must be granted before home construction can proceed. This means that all the related subdivision infrastructure for the Hansen Boulevard connection must be completed before any homes are built.

Concurrent with the Phase 2B subdivision approval process, the design of the creek crossing project began in September 2020. Construction was completed in August 2023.

Although the construction presented challenges, the structure is now in place awaiting the developer’s construction of the road as part of their subdivision advancement, which will link the west development area near Veteran’s Way to the rest of the town’s transportation network.

“They have to do that before they can build their development,” Post said. “So it’s timing that’s waiting on the developer at this point.”

Post said the developer is consulting with town staff to get the job done.

“Let’s hope it’s pretty soon,” Garisto said.

“We are all eager for it, just like you are, Mr. Garisto,” Post replied.


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