Lack of highway access a hurdle for commercial site

Chris Van Paassen, Ward 4 Councillor

Luke Edwards

Grant Haven Media

A hurdle put up by the province’s transportation ministry appears to be the one thing keeping a Delhi property owner from building the commercial development Norfolk County councillors desire.

At the July 22 public hearing committee meeting, Gabriel Gasbarrini pitched a plan to build 25 single detached units at 10 Highway 59 in Delhi. The project would see smaller homes of around 1,000 square feet with smaller yard areas with an eye to provide decent and attainable housing for seniors. To do so, he requires zoning bylaw and official plan amendments to a section of the land to convert it from commercial to residential.

Councillors, however, view the property as an ideal area to build much needed commercial space.

“I find it hard to believe there could be a better location for commercial zoning than the intersection of two provincial highways,” said Coun. Chris Van Paassen, referring to Highways 59 and 3.

The problem for that, though, is that the Ministry of Transportation has said it won’t allow an additional entrance onto either highway.

“I do have the problem that the MTO won’t allow me to have access onto Highway 3 or 59 so how do I create a commercial designation when the only access I’m permitted is onto Hawtry Road?” Gasbarrini said.

Consultant John Vallee added he had little optimism the ministry would change its mind.

“There’s no way the MTO is going to allow access there. We’re simply too close to the existing intersection and they’ve made that extremely clear,” he said.

“I think the neighbours would not be happy at all if we proposed a commercial (development) with entrance from Hawtry road.”

His solution was the development geared to seniors. Gasbarrini said he moved to the area a few years ago, and wants to build something that’s a benefit.

“I’ve been here for seven years, I love the community and I really have no intention of doing anything that’s going to destroy it or cause problems for the people who live here,” he said.

Despite Vallee’s pessimism regarding the MTO, Van Paassen wondered if the municipality could reach out to MTO counterparts and see if there’s something that could be done, possibly even “fixing that entire intersection once and for all.”

No decisions were made at the meeting, which was simply to introduce the project and seek feedback.