Family homes proposed for edge of Consecon boundary
Administrator | Jun 21, 2022 | Comments 1
A small sub-division of single detached homes may be in the cards for the Consecon area if a draft plan for sub-division and zoning bylaw amendment finds municipal approval.
Details of the proposed sub-division, known as Lakeside Estates, are to be outlined at an in-person public information session Wednesday evening, (7 p.m.) at the Consecon Legion.
Located on the Loyalist Parkway (the northeast corner) and bounding Lakeside Drive, the proposal features just 36 dwellings consisting of mostly single detached (28 units), with eight semi-detached homes. Lots are expected to be a minimum of 2,000 square metres. There are no indications of price points.
The low-density residential development is described as a “logical extension of the existing development in the village”, with density at 4.9 units per hectare.
The parcel of land, 9.2 hectares in size, is owned by 2798640 Ontario Inc. based in Vaughan, Ontario, and is bounded by the Loyalist Parkway (Highway 33) along its western flank, with Lakeside Drive at its southern border. Its eastern boundary falls at the edge of Consecon’s boundary.
The property, adjacent to Wellers Bay (to the west) and Lake Consecon (to the south/southeast), is within the settlement area of the village and has been subject to agricultural practices in the past and present.
Land use planner for the application, Ray Essiambre of Ray Essiambre and Associates, notes in his report the land in question is agricultural in nature with two agricultural fields, plus vegetated areas. There are presently no structures on the property.
The property is bounded on the north by forest/wetland, to the east by forest and agricultural fields, to the south by Lakeside Drive, and to the west by Loyalist Parkway.
It is noted in the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) that there is a lot of garbage (tires, hoses, furniture, cans, other metal parts, etc.) along the north boundary on adjacent land from past activities.
“The site consists of two cultivated fields and some areas that have vegetation that form hedgerows,” notes Essiambre. “To the north is a forest and an unevaluated wetland; to the east is another forested area and cultivated fields.”
An unclassified wetland is located north of the site on land owned by the municipality. This swamp area (approximately 1.3 hectares) contains green ash, black ash, common buckthorn, silver maple, crack willow and eastern cottonwood.
Three trees (sugar maples) situated along Lakeside Drive have been identified to be preserved, along with several trees (crack willow and poplar) on the northern portion of the land which borders the wetland.
Further, it is anticipated one tree per lot will be provided in the completed development.
The EIS notes the 1.6 hectare forest observed on the northeast corner is composed of young trees and shrubs, with common buckthorn as one of the dominant species.
Several low areas on the edge of the agricultural fields have poor drainage where ponding was found to occur. Some of the species found in the seasonal wet area include wooly blue violet, grasses, clomps of reed canary grass, common plantain, narrow-leaved cattails, mats of green algae, lichens, mosses and sedges.
According to the EIS, 17 species of birds were recorded as incidental observations, along with six mammals observed to use the property during incidental observations.
“The property is important as wildlife is using the property, however, due to its location and current conditions, and the lack of significant natural features, the property does not provide significant wildlife habitat,” noted the EIS.
Essiambre noted the high demand for housing in the County.
“An affordable housing solution is to provide a range of single family and semi-detached units situated in a village settlement that will offer an alternative to high housing costs in larger settlement areas,” said Essiambre.
Given the small size of the development at 32 dwellings – housing approximately 100 people – Essiambre notes the need for parkland within the development is “less necessary”. He notes the parkland requirement under the Planning Act will be satisfied by a cash-in-lieu of parkland dedication.
Lakeside Estates will utilize the existing water supply optimizing existing municipal infrastructure.
“Servicing the development with municipal sanitary services is not feasible because there is no sanitary system serving the village of Consecon,” noted Essiambre.
The development will be serviced by private individual septic systems which are expected to be raised in design.
Documentation pertaining to this application can be found on the County’s website .
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The applicants materials state:
“Only half of the property is within the Water Service Area outlined in the water service agreement
between Quinte West and the County. The entire agreement is included in Attachment 2. Prior to Draft
Approval it will be required that the subject lands are entirely within the serviced area.”
The water service agreement has been a source of contention due to the cost of the water provided from Quinte West. This cost is spread across all of the users of the County Municipal water system. Will this mean an increase in water cost for all.
If memory serves, there was a hue and cry over the absence of parkland in the Wellington Bay Estates plan, notwithstanding the contention that parkland had been provided in the past and had been used for the Lehigh Centre. Why should this project be allowed to pay cash in lieu?
The plans show an ingress/egress to Hwy 33 across from the northern entrance to Consecon village. Will Hwy 33 have to be widened at that point to allow for a left turn lane? There is a curve to the north that may pose a collision hazard.
There is no indication of the housing price points only a vague reference to there being a possibility that this housing may be less expensive than in larger urban settings. I think this is known as ‘lip service’.