Developer granted a bit more leeway

Council is giving the developer of a subdivision that has sat unfinished for almost 15 years another three months of leeway.

At last Tuesday’s council-in-committee meeting, a report tabled by the local government last month was back on the agenda, asking Fort Erie council to consider a six-month extension of its draft plan agreement. The alternative of granting three months was approved by council and accepted by the developer as enough time to register the subdivision.

The River Trail Estates development has used up the patience of residents in the area who have been critical of the large mounds of dirt, overgrown grass and a stormwater pond that has spilled into nearby yards.

“Generally speaking, the site is very disorderly,” said Rick Brady, the Town of Fort Erie’s director of planning and community development at Tuesday’s meeting.

Speaking on behalf of the developer as its agent at the recent meeting was Stewart Randall from Peter’s Excavating.

He said the project has been delayed because the developer is waiting for a primary service deposit to be returned by the town before it can move forward.

“We’re in a situation right now, we’re in a bit of a cash crunch,” he said when fielding questions from council.

Director of community planning and development Rick Brady said the municipality holds deposits from subdivision developers and once adequate documentation outlining engineering details is submitted, the deposits can be returned if planning staff are satisfied.

He said this documentation has not taken place.

“There simply has been no information provided to us to make that determination,” said Brady.

Randall said that there has been some changeover at the engineering firm working on the project and that a new individual is on the file who will be working with the municipality in the next 90 days (starting from Sept. 5), the timeline given by council for the subdivision to become registered.