The following article apppeared in the June 6 edition of the Guelph Mercury:
Last October, developer Jeremy Grant said in an interview his company was dedicated to working with south-end residents “to come up with a proposal we can all live with.
“If that means looking at a compromise, that’s what we’ll do,” the vice-president of Seaton Ridge Communities Limited said at the time.
“I think there’s probably some middle ground we can find.”
On Monday evening, city councillors praised the developer and an ad hoc citizens’ committee for doing just that.
“This is an exemplary model of inclusiveness,” Coun. Ian Findlay said.
Councillors unanimously endorsed a staff recommendation granting Seaton Ridge a zoning bylaw amendment, which will allow it to build 45 townhouses and semi-detached homes on a parcel of land at 146 Downey Rd., just north of Teal Drive.
The developer had initially proposed building up to 54 units on the three-acre (1.2-hectare) property, but neighbours balked, claiming the proposal was not compatible with the surrounding homes. An ad hoc committee was established to work with the developer on finding a middle ground.
On Monday, Grant told councillors the final site plan represents an increase in density over what neighbours are used to, noting 45 units is fewer than the developer wanted and more than residents wanted initially.
Shirley Greenwood, chair of the residents’ committee, called the final design “a development that will fit into our community.”
Councillors also considered a report prepared for and presented by University of Guelph adjunct professor Hugh Whiteley.
Whiteley suggested a land swap between the developer and city, which would have prevented the proposal from encroaching onto a Union Gas easement on the eastern edge of the Seaton Ridge lands. He alleged the encroachment raises undue public safety risks, and also detracts from the natural views from the adjacent valley, a popular walking area.
Senior development planner Al Hearne said the city had reviewed Whiteley’s concerns and did not believe they raised sufficient issues.
Greenwood also said the ad hoc citizens’ committee was opposed to Whiteley’s land swap proposal.