Residents want second access road before new phase of Woodway development

Luke Edwards

Advocate Correspondent

A proposed residential build of more than 350 units in the Woodway Trails area seems to have one major hiccup in the eyes of nearby residents.

People in the area seemed relatively OK with the development itself when it was presented at the Jan. 7 public hearings committee meeting, however it was the lack of a secondary access and what that’ll mean during construction that has them concerned.

“That road is imperative,” said Kirk Stewart, echoing comments made by several other residents.

The proposal includes plans for 140 single detached homes, 196 street townhouse units, and 20 semi-detached homes. There are also three proposed condo blocks for what the report describes as “mid-rise apartment or townhouse dwellings.”

There’s an existing subdivision of similar size in the area and currently it’s only accessed by Donly Drive. Emergency access is possible through Oakwood Cemetery.

Residents voiced their strong desire for a secondary access. Some suggested options for a construction access through the water treatment plant to the west. 

The larger area was severed a few years ago, split evenly between the two owners, with Paul Halyk controlling the area in question for this proposal.

There was also talk of a secondary access going down towards Decou, however a consultant representing Halyk, John Vallee, said Halyk doesn’t own that land.

“Are there opportunities? Yes there are… but for now what we’re proposing is limited to the land the applicant actually owns,” Vallee said.

The concerns over traffic weren’t lost on him, or the applicants.

“We’ve heard loud and clear that there are concerns on traffic and access to the site,” he said.

There were some other concerns and questions raised by councillors and from residents at an earlier open house. Some revolved around the application itself, and whether it should have been deemed complete when in the first place. Staff acknowledged that there were some updates they identified and while he was careful with his words, general manager of community development Brandon Sloan reiterated that staff deemed it a complete application.

This is important because provincial rules state an applicant can appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal if a decision isn’t made in a certain time frame. The deadline for the county is in February, meaning it could be taken out of their hands if a decision isn’t made by then.

However, Vallee told councillors not to worry about that deadline.

“I will guarantee you there will be no appeal in February and we’re going to take some time to work with county staff,” he said, adding while this application is complex, the nature of updating studies and components of the application is no different from any other development proposal.

Other concerns raised included parking, water drainage, and a buffer between the development and the water treatment plant, which will likely need some expansion in the future.

To allow the proposal, zoning bylaw amendments are required, and various special provisions are required relating to setbacks, frontages and other conditions.

No decisions were made at the meeting, which introduced the application and sought feedback from councillors and members of the public. A full recommendation report will come before council at a later meeting.