‘Country Club Estates of Wellington’ proposed development
Administrator | Mar 06, 2019 | Comments 9
Story and photos by Sharon Harrison
A public open house welcomed local residents who came to learn about another proposed residential development planned for Wellington – the second in just one week.
There was a feeling of déjà vu at the Wellington and District Community Centre Tuesday which saw about 25 people attend another development meeting, on another snowy evening.
This meeting came on the heels of ‘The Fields of Wellington’ community open house in which a proposed residential development by Weston Consulting was announced. That project consists of a 110-acre parcel of land situated just north of the Millennium Trail, bounding Consecon Street at its western perimeter. The Fields of Wellington’s proposal includes phased residential housing, beginning with 60 units in phase one, with the potential for up to 400 units at its completion, up to a decade from now.
At more than twice the size, the 260-acre parcel of farmland owned by Kaitlin Corporation sits adjacent to The Fields of Wellington property, where the two properties share a common central boundary.
The property, known as the ‘Country Club Estates of Wellington’ borders the Millennium Trail to the south, with Belleville Street to the east, and also incorporates a smaller portion of land to the east of Belleville Street.
Kaitlin Corporation’s plans are ambitious with 460 housing units proposed, together with a golf course, community club house and retail site plus several parks.
The information boards at the informal open house did not contain the same degree of detail as last week’s presentation and there was no formal presentation or discussion platform.
“We have been part of the community for over a decade now,” said Enzo Bertucci, Director, Land Development at Kaitlin Corporation. Bertucci oversees all of Kaitlin’s projects throughout southern Ontario.
Applications for sub-division and re-zoning by Kaitlin Corporation were previously submitted and approved for development by the municipality in 2012. The approval for the sub-division lapsed in 2017 which necessitated a re-submission of a plan of sub-division and re-zoning of the property.
“I’m a big supporter of this site and I have been to Prince Edward County and Wellington a number of times in the past few years and I really like what this community has,” said Bertucci. “I love some of the culture, the food, the wine, the arts that this community has.”
While plans lacked specific details, such as design styles and price points, information contained in a fact sheet indicated the proposed 460 dwellings would be made up of 222 single family units, 88 semi-detached units, 90 townhouse units and 60 apartment units.
Bertucci said the proposed development is meant to add to the community.
“The goal here is not to bulldoze some kind of idea of what a development could be,” he said. “Part of what we are doing here today in the open house, that is voluntary on our part, we are introducing the concept to the community.”
Original plans for the site, which were designed about 12 years ago, had an 18-hole golf said Bertucci.
“Over the time, we realized we couldn’t find a partner to build the golf course. We still do have a golf course component to these lands on the north side and we are looking at an executive nine-hole golf facility, but again that’s in the conversations and in discussions with the public.”
If not a golf course, the idea would be to look at some other type of outdoor amenity or open space if that’s a better fit said Bertucci.
Also on hand to answer questions at the informal gathering were Steve Harvey, project manager with Jewell Engineering, and planning and development consultant, Ray Essiambre.
Prince Edward County mayor Steve Ferguson, Wellington councillor Mike Harper and Hillier councillor Ernie Margetson were also present.
Bertucci said they are supportive of a mixed use site that has all forms of development, all forms of price points, from lower density to higher density, from full ownership freehold to condominiums to rental properties.
“We do that with all the communities we build in southern Ontario and have found it very successful,” he said. “Each community has its own nuances and characteristics that we feel can be brought to each site.”
The proposed sub-division is designed to be a complete community with three parks connected by two kilometres of trails linking to the Millennium Trail. The open public space amounts to four hectares, or 13 per cent of the site. There would be an entrance feature, pedestrian and vehicular connections to adjacent communities and integration with the natural environment to include Lane Creek and other watershed areas. Further, it was noted that the large wood lot east of Belleville Street would be retained.
Wellington resident Nick Van Cott voiced a number of concerns.
“I am worried about the water run-off into the creeks and storm drains running into the creeks from both developments and what that could carry into our lakes and waterways,” he said.
“I was trying to say to them too, to be innovative and build new things like cisterns in people’s yards and basements to help collect rainwater to offset the cost of our high water bills here,” said Van Cott. “And even the idea of solar to be hybridized houses to offset hydro costs. But really the storm water is the biggest concern with what’s going to happen to the environment.”
Bertucci, noting it is a big project with 460 units planned, will take a long time to get built up. “This is probably a 10-year project from start to finish at minimum, and maybe even longer,” he said.
“Our goal with the first phase is to come in with 61 units on the south end of the property and I can’t see us starting that at the earliest, next year,” he said.
Bertucci noted there will be a formal statutory meeting that the County will organize sometime in the future and that will be an opportunity for members of the public to make comments.
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You can build all the house’s you want but if you don’t create jobs wats going to keep the younger generation here its going to be a retirement place with higher taxes
My comments echo Gilles’ comments .
( Thank you Gilles for reminding us of who we are
here in The County . )
The pastoral integrity of The County is being lost to the suburban sprawl of the GTA .
The farmlands and natural areas along the western shores of The County ( which have yet to be developed into suburbia ) represent the last remnant of pastoral area
found anywhere along the shores of Lake Ontario ( both in Ontario and New York State ) .
This pastoral integrity is the fundamental quality of our heritage here in The County .
It is what The County People value the most and it is what attracts most visitors to The County .
Some visitors end up staying and adopt The County Way of Life
and some visitors are interlopers whose interests belie The County Way of Life .
If there is to be suburban sprawl ( such as in ‘ The Fields of Wellington ‘ development
and the ‘ Country Club Estates of Wellington ’ development ) ,
then I suppose the question is … How many of the new people taking up residence
in The County will adopt to the The County Way of Life ?
Otherwise ; that which we have traditionally valued for 230 years
will quickly vanish and be replaced by those urban and suburban values of the GTA .
Indulge me, by allowing a quote from my unpublished book, entitled “PROSPECT: Prince Edward County”….. “Long before the wine grapes arrived here, we were being called the next ‘Niagara-on-the-lake’ due in part to the wealth of early architecture. We are among the earlier settled parts of Upper Canada following the American War of Independence: we have records of United Empire Loyalists arriving here as early as 1784, with many coming directly across Lake Ontario from New York (state), and arriving here as land was being surveyed just barely in advance of their arrival. Then they were calling us “Ontario’s best-kept secret”. Well, the cat has been let out of the bag. Now they’re calling us the next Muskoka, the next Wasaga Beach, the next Martha’s Vineyard, the next Hudson Valley, Disneyland North, and–dear God help us–even the next Hamptons. Multi-million dollar properties are not uncommon here anymore. I’m hoping that we can retain our identity as ‘Loyalist Country’ amd largely agricultural. But, the pressure’s on. We have developers lined up at the planner’s office with mega-projects in hand….” (copyright G Miramontes 2010)
I lament for the County, as it loses its charm, its small-town atmosphere, its neighbourhood communities of full-time residents, and its unspoiled and undeveloped rare and fragile natural areas. I don’t recognize the County I grew up in, and the identity of The County is being lost. I’m not against development, per se, but I fear that too much change in too short a time will not only ruin the charm and special nature of our relatively unspoiled island community, but with the loss of identity everyone will feel alienated. This is a cautionary tale which is not being heeded. But, as they say, unfortunately: you can’t stop progress”. Carry on. “When they call a place paradise: kiss it goodbye.”* (*courtesy: Eagles)
the soil is deep enough and land is well drained now .a low spot in field on east side of the road . There is some shallow ground at the north west corner Hiller Gravel . see my comment on facebook
the soil is fairly deep in most except the more north west area it is the Hillier gravel always grew good crops . There are some quite sandy areas . read my post on facebook
I too share concerns about water runoff and what will happen to storm water. Has anyone investigated how deep the soil is there. The more shallow areas will be the first to soak up water and with no where to go will become problematic. Secondly if this is a chunk of agricultural land who changed the rules at Shire Hall to allow building on it
Drive down to Bath and visit Loyalist Estates……that is Kaitlin owned…….see for yourself……
Love that the project by Kaitlin Corp is called Illusions
Will the housing be more affordable so that locals can actually afford to live here , or is this targeted at retired Torontonians where housing starts at 400$+?