Many residents went home frustrated from a community forum on Wednesday night after organizers declined to hold an open question-and-answer session about a proposed housing and golf course development on the Hawk Ridge Golf Course property.
While project consultants said they would be available to speak with residents one-on-one following a presentation on the development — which could bring hundreds of homes and a redesigned golf course on 23 hectares of the 60-hectare site — a number of residents hoped to have their questions answered through a public question and answer session.
When the presentation concluded, several residents raised their hands to speak, but were advised to approach project consultants individually.
“I think we should have an open Q and A. That’s why we’re here,” said a resident.
“We want to hear what the other residents have to say, as well,” said a second resident.
“We sent in three pages of questions … and you didn't answer,” said another resident.
Though they were accused of “shutting the forum down,” event organizers ultimately declined the idea of answering questions publicly.
“Quite frankly, this is how these meetings get out of control, very quickly. We have all of our experts here. You are welcome to come and ask the questions individually,” said Rachelle Laroque, planner with Biglieri Group.
Following the presentation, resident Tracy Waldron said the event was “purposely designed to not let us speak our minds and question what’s happening in our community.
“They don’t want to answer the questions, yet they have a panel of experts here that won’t allow any of us in the room to ask them,” Waldron told OrilliaMatters.
Waldron raised concerns about traffic, wildlife in the area, water supply for the project and broader neighbourhood, and other issues.
The proposed LIV Communities development could bring major changes to Severn Township with 170 to 190 single detached dwellings, 200 to 285 townhomes, and 84-120 stacked townhomes currently proposed for the site as well as a redesigned golf course, trails, parks, and an environmental buffer around natural areas
While there is no timeline for when the project will come before the township’s council, developers have requested official plan and zoning bylaw amendments to move forward with the project, which they presented their vision for on Wednesday evening.
“The vision, really … (is) to be a premier golf destination and development built upon environmental stewardship and the recognition of the area's unique attributes,” said Raymon Yim, urban designer with Urbantypology.
A variety of project consultants went through various aspects of the development, ranging from brook trout in Silver Creek, to golf course design, before speaking with residents following the presentation.
As far as the golf course goes, the goal is to create an 18-hole course that “challenges the best players and allows everyone else to have a good time.” Currently there are 45 holes of golf at the course located just off West Street North.
“When I've evaluated the current situation at Hawk Ridge, there's a lot of holes and a lot of situations where the opposite applies, where there's holes that are easy for better players and too (difficult) for higher handicap and short hitters,” said Jeff Mingay, golf course architect.
Consultants also laid out plans to use golf course ponds as stormwater ponds, and to re-naturalize a 30-metre buffer around Silver Creek – which runs through the property and is home to the sensitive, coldwater brook trout.
A variety of parks, interconnected trails and sidewalks are also pitched for the development, which will also have a 10-metre buffer for woodlands and wetlands on the property, though there is a 0.74 hectare wetland on the property slated for removal.
As far as water goes, consultants said a well investigation has “located a water source that is in a much deeper aquifer than the current wells that are at the existing residential homes in the area.”
“This aquifer is separated by a significant clay layer, which means there's very little interaction between the existing residential wells and the proposed water source,” said civil engineer, Brittany Robertson, who mentioned they are still early in the investigation.
A gravity sanitary system and wastewater treatment facility will need to be designed for the site, Robertson noted.
Regarding transportation, there are three proposed connections to Uhtoff Line and one proposed for Hurlwood Lane.
Following the presentation, a resident raised concerns about the potential impacts of the project, while also recognizing the need for a variety of housing types in the area.
“It's (about) balancing the needs of affordable, attainable housing, but in a way that's sustainable to a community,” said Miriam, who only provided her first name to OrilliaMatters. “When I take a look at this plan, I don't think this is a sustainable plan for the community itself. It's too big.”
Beyond the potential impacts of the project to the broader neighbourhood, Miriam brought up the endangered red-headed woodpecker, which consultants confirmed are on the site.
“We see the woodpeckers every single day — they come to our bird feeders. We see all the wildlife in the area, and while they've acknowledged that these are endangered species, do you think that, seriously, building this subdivision … is going to protect those endangered species? I don't think so.”
Environmental concerns were also raised by local naturalist, Bob Bowles, who attended the meeting.
Bowles expressed concern about building on wetlands, such as the 0.74-hectare wetland that will be removed from the site, highlighting the flood risk such developments can pose.
“That (wetland) will completely be filled in and disappear. We're going to get more flooding. You can't keep filling in wetlands and expect us not to get flooding,” he said.
“The (swamp) on the other side, right beside the Inch Farm wetland is being filled in, too, so you're going to see the homes around here — the basements are going to start flooding more. The water can't dissipate.”
