Hamilton foresees an urbanized Elfrida
Community to be transformed over two decades with 80,000 people and jobs
The City of Hamilton is forging ahead with a plan to transform Elfrida into a community of 80,000 workers and residents over the next two decades.
The latest in a series of public meetings for the Elfrida growth area study was held earlier this month at the Valley Park Community Centre.
The study encompasses a roughly 1,000-hectare, L-shaped land parcel east and south of the intersection of Upper Centennial Parkway and Rymal Road.
The study area also runs from Trinity Church Road to Second Road East and from Mud Street to Golf Club Road.
While the area is currently rural and predominantly agricultural, Elfrida was selected through the city’s growth-related integrated development strategy (GRIDS) process as the preferred location to accommodate new greenfield development to the year 2031 and beyond.
Ron Palmer, a consultant from The Planning Partnership, said a new secondary plan will aim to create a complete community, with a mix of residential, commercial and institutional development, as well as transit links and preservation of natural heritage features.
“This is about 1,000 hectares in size,” said Palmer. “One of the policies we are required to achieve on this site is a density of about 80 persons and jobs per hectare. This is a significant addition to the City of Hamilton.”
Tony Fortino, who co-owns a parcel of land south of the hydro corridor on the east side of Highway 56, worries the new secondary plan will limit his future options. Fortino has rented the land to farmers in the past, but is ultimately hoping it can be developed.
“They determined it’s a wetland,” said Fortino, who purchased the site along with two other partners more than 30 years ago.
“We invested to develop in the future and all of a sudden now it becomes a property that’s useless. It’s not fair.”
Consultants who spoke at the June 12 public meeting said the secondary plan for Elfrida is still very much a work in progress.
The city’s GRIDS 2 process and a municipal comprehensive review, plus a sub-watershed study, will help shape the final plan.
An information report will be presented to the city’s planning committee on Sept. 4, but a final decision won’t be rendered until the next council term.
The June 12 meeting was the third round of public forums the city has organized thus far.
Residents have been asked for their thoughts on three preliminary development options.
Concept one envisions plots of development that are not specifically organized across the community. The option conserves all natural heritage features and provides for connectivity within features. But the overall plan isn’t favoured for its lower development yield and lack of transportation linkages.
A second concept includes a development node centred on Upper Centennial Parkway. This proposal would result in some over-sizing of water mains and sewers. The option is favourable to the city from a financial standpoint, although transportation connectivity would be challenging.
A third concept would see development organized and dispersed across multiple nodes and corridors throughout the study area. This plan offers the greatest diversity of land uses, as well as the most complete road network.
A concept plan circulated during the June 12 meeting includes a dozen new elementary schools and two new high schools.
Palmer said new community centres, as well as parks and open spaces, will be considered within the plan. Residential development is expected to include a mix of single-detached homes, townhouses and mid-rise buildings.
The city is planning another round of community meetings, where residents can view updated plans.
Ward 9 Coun. Doug Conley, who represents much of the area, said he is expecting the release of a more concrete proposal.
“It’s going to be a ton of changes,” said Conley, who is vying for re-election in the Oct. 22 municipal election.
“It’s always good when you can communicate with people. It’s so far in the future and there’s more questions than answers.”
Cam Galindo, who is vying for the same council seat this fall, is urging residents to get involved early in the planning process.
“If we don’t engage in the process now, we’re going to end up with something that won’t be to our tastes,” he said.
Galindo has heard from residents east of Upper Centennial Parkway whose private wells ran dry after the city launched a trunk sewer construction project in 2015. He said future development plans should respect the wishes of current residents.