Draft plan extension granted for Crystal Beach development

Fort Erie council has given proponents of a subdivision in Crystal Beach more time to come up with their draft plan.

The extension was granted to Knof Group and Pursuit Developments, who are looking to build a subdivision on the west side of Hazelwood Avenue, north of Erie Road in the lakeside village.

One councillor, however, is not happy with the decision.

Ward 5 Coun. Don Lubberts said the proponents of the development have asked for several extensions since it was first approved in 2008. He said the last time an extension was given, the proponents said they planned to break ground in 2017 and that in 2018, Phase 1 would be nearing completion.

“If they planned on breaking ground, they must have had everything in place,” Lubberts said. “Now, they’re saying everything needs to be reviewed.” He felt enough was enough. “I don’t think we should be considering any extensions when they’re not meeting their obligations,” Lubberts said.

But Rick Brady, the town’s director of planning and development, said the proponents are making progress on meeting many of the 38 conditions they must meet to proceed, despite the property changing ownership.

“It has come to my attention that they have met about half of those conditions,” Brady said.

Some of those conditions include everything from street names, sidewalk installations, meeting regional waste collection policies to environmental conditions, including vegetation removal being completed outside of the breeding period for birds who nest in the area.

“The current owner took over the property two years ago,” Brady said. “The previous owner was not moving the ball. The current person knows how to move things forward.”

But Lubberts wasn’t convinced and proposed an amendment that would make the extension, if granted, the last one.

The amendment was turned down and council proceeded to approve the extension, with Lubberts being the only councillor to vote against it.