Making plans

Controversial Cambridge West subdivision moving forward

CAMBRIDGE — The deadline was suddenly tight. The pressure to decide was intense.

So Cambridge West — where three developers plan to build up to 1,569 housing units on 90 hectares in west Galt up against the North Dumfries border — got a 6-2 nod of approval from the city’s planning committee on Monday night.

“It’s pretty logical that we really need to support this and we need to support it now,” Coun. Shannon Adshade said before the vote.

“We really can’t delay it any further.” Why the rush? After all, Cambridge West had been tagged for residential development in 1982. And these plans, with their nagging environmental and traffic concerns, have meandered like a Barrie’s Lake turtle since 2011.

Blame, or credit, a bold play by the developers.

They forced city council into a hurry-up decision by taking the matter to the Ontario Municipal Board. The pre-hearing looms on March 8.

Yes or no, council felt it had to decide on the plans at Monday’s special meeting. If councillors didn’t make a decision then, the city would essentially be on the sidelines as the OMB began its work.

If they rejected the plans, the city and the developers would be foes going into a June hearing. Who knows? The OMB could grant the developers way more than 1,569 units with provincial density rules

heading upwards. That was the big fear — a bigger, clunkier development may result.

However, if the city and developers struck a deal, they could enter the OMB hearing together and collaborate on a design both could live with.

Last fall, the Cambridge West plans called for up to 1,824 units.

After reaching a deal with city planners, that maximum had been reduced by 255. But planning committee had to sign on and did so on Monday.

“If we pass this now, we have control,” Adshade said.

“We can work, we can modify it. If we say no, and delay it and it goes to the OMB, we end up with no control.”

Still, councillors Nicholas Ermeta and Jan Liggett voted against the revamped plans, which could still be tinkered with at the meeting of the full council next week.

“My instinct is to vote against this because there’s so much wrong with it,” said Liggett, who wanted more time to digest the 500-page report on the latest Cambridge West plans that arrived late last week.

“The traffic issues are huge, coming forward in the future.”

Coun. Mike Mann resented feeling squeezed by the OMB timeline that had prodded council into a fast decision on the revised plans.

“I’m reluctant to support this tonight simply because of the way that it’s been forced upon us,” Mann said.

But Mann voted in favour of the plan so the city wouldn’t have to risk a distasteful OMB ruling. And city council can still bring up matters such as improved environmental protection with the developers.

“We still have time to discuss these ideas with the developer,” said Coun. Pam Wolf, who represents West Galt. “If we find that there is an endangered species in an area, we can still react.”

Lin Stevens, a West Galt resident, was bothered by how the process played out on Monday night.

“I listened to a couple of the comments from people feeling they’re being pushed into certain things, they didn’t have enough time to read it,” Stevens said afterwards. “That troubles me.”