Council turns down controversial development on Wilson

It was beyond standing-room-only at the April 27 council meeting as an application for a 24-unit building on a lot between Wilson and Concession was up for approval. In the end, council turned down the application. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

Town council unanimously rejected a controversial proposal for a property between Wilson Ave and Concession Street West.

Most of the 150-plus audience at the April 27 council meeting were Hickory Hills residents, attending to show their opposition. Nine spoke against the development.

After the presentations, Mayor Deb Gilvesy briefly left the chair to move that the development not be allowed, despite the planner’s stamp of approval. The motion cited incompatibility of the 3.5-story, 24-unit building with existing single-family homes, and failure to meet medium-density zoning conditions. It also stated the proposal would use Tillsonburg’s last available water servicing capacity, limiting future industrial growth.

Earlier in the meeting, Oxford County planner Amy Hartley started by presenting an overview of the proposal, which calls for amending the zoning from low-density residential to medium-density residential. The application, which was the ninth application to develop the property since 1985, would also recognize the existing 10-meter frontage on Wilson Ave and provide relief from side yard provisions. In her report, Hartley wrote the application should be supported as it is: “generally consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement direction and Official Plan policies respecting residential intensification, infill within established neighbourhoods, increased supply, and diversity of dwelling types and locational criteria respecting the designation of new medium density residential areas.”

In her report, Hartley said the lot is large enough for the building and meets parking requirements. She noted the 10-meter frontage allows for a planned 6.7-meter driveway.

Harley also addressed concerns about access by fire trucks, saying, “The fire department did comment that the distance is sufficient, and parking is sufficient for a truck to turn around.”

She acknowledged there was a lot of written input from residents, noting the main issues were impact on the neighbourhood, traffic concerns, parking concerns, access for fire trucks, noise, privacy, and the strain on municipal services.

Coun. Kelly Spencer said she heard from many residents who are worried about increased traffic from the 24 units.

“This subdivision, this community, already feels there is traffic concerns, and there will be an increase in traffic,” she said.

Spencer asked if this part of Wilson is a collector, as medium-density residential is supposed to have access to an arterial or collector road. Hartley responded that the other end of Wilson is considered a collector, and the development isn’t far from a collector.

There could also be issues with parking overflow onto Wilson as the planned development is designed for families.

“Many of these folks moved to Tillsonburg to be in an adult community, where now there will be kids, maybe in their backyards or the streets,” Spencer said. “I have concerns this will deter people to move to an adult community in the future and make it difficult for those wishing to sell.”

Spencer also asked if there were specific policies for overflow parking in adult communities, how a fire truck could turn around, and impacts on water pressure.

Coun. Chris Parker was concerned about the slope stability of the hill at the back of the building. He noted that when the soil is disturbed, there is potential for erosion and wanted to know how that would be addressed. He was told the experts gave the proposal their blessing.

Deputy Mayor Dave Beres asked how many single-family lots could be built on the space, and Hartley answered three.

Caden McAllister and Matt Campbell, the applicant's planners, answered council's questions about the application.

After McAllister admitted that an area to handle garbage hadn’t been dealt with, Gilvesy wanted more information on this. Campbell said they are looking at a deep well receptacle or a garbage container system, with the location to be determined.

“How would you feel if this were put in your backyard?” Parker asked to applause from the audience.

Campbell said he had a four-storey apartment building next to his house. He recognized that there are provincial and local planning tools.

“I wouldn’t feel great about it, but would respect the policies that are in place,” he said.

Coun. Chris Rosehart told the planners she didn’t believe a fire truck could get in and out when the building is on fire.

Coun. Bob Parsons, a former fire chief, said a fire prevention officer can comment on fire routes, but fire routes are part of the Ontario Building Code, and official comments should be issued by the chief building official. He noted there were no comments by the chief building official in the report.

“As a former fire chief, we did have a fire back in there, it was a barn, and it was difficult to get out of there,” he said.

Spencer pointed out that that overflow parking is on Wilson, but overnight parking is not allowed on Tillsonburg streets in the winter. She asked what the plan was to deal with this.

Campbell said the parking is deemed sufficient, and if there is overflow on the street in the winter, the town will have to enforce it.

Pat Carlson, representing the Hickory Hills Residents Association, spoke about compatibility with existing uses.

“In the proposal, it doesn’t directly acknowledge Hickory Hills and its 430 homes,” she pointed out.

Resident Claude Archambault spoke about additional traffic and parking issues that will result from the development, referring to it as putting a square peg in a round hole.

“It doesn’t fit, it won’t work,” he said.

He noted that if vehicles park on both sides of Wilson Ave, it will narrow the street.

“What happens to emergency vehicles when they have to get through there in a hurry with a house on fire,” he asked. “We think they’re going to be impaired in trying to get to our house.”

Another resident, Carol Judd, said a large portion of the 1.4-acre lot is sloped. She said county staff should only be considering the flat area, and aren’t taking this into consideration.

She pointed out that the 2019 application was denied due to fire access, yet tonight planning staff recommended it go ahead.

“I would like to know what happened,” she said.

Judd also questioned where snow would be put beside the driveway and pointed out sump pumps in neighbouring homes currently run following a heavy rainfall, and suggested parking lot runoff could cause basement flooding.

Other area residents also spoke, raising concerns about traffic, noise from heavy equipment for construction, asking there was consideration of more than one fire truck at once, and access for school buses if vehicles are parked on both sides.

After Gilvesy made the motion, she stressed there should be a transition zone from medium-density residential to single-family residential. She also said the water availability is years into the future, but this could hamper industrial development with it all being allocated.

Spencer agreed on the transition zone, saying Tillsonburg is known as a retirement community and that needs to be protected.

Parker added that if cars are parked on Wilson, and there are children in the area, the potential is there for a child to run out between parked cars and be hit.