Two new townhome developments in 麻豆精选鈥檚 south-central area set off a debate at city council鈥檚 Monday meeting (Feb. 24), as residents pushed back against increasing density in established neighbourhoods.
Both projects, proposed for Stillingfleet Road (2236-2248), between Springfield and Guisachan roads, would see nine townhomes built on each lot. Council received several letters opposing the developments, with two specifically addressing concerns about 2236 Stillingfleet Rd.
Councillor Maxine DeHart referred to one letter that asked how many councillors had experienced infill development in their neighbourhoods.
鈥淚 live in a big infill centre,鈥� DeHart said, adding that other councillors do as well, though she didn鈥檛 name them. 鈥淧eople think we鈥檙e not sensitive. We live in these neighbourhoods too. We are taxpayers, just like you, and we鈥檙e just trying to do the best for our community.鈥�
Coun. Ron Cannan said many residents aren鈥檛 against change but argued that the province鈥檚 new housing regulations allowing up to six units in infill areas are moving too fast.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 more than, I guess, taking their fair share of the growth,鈥� Cannan said. 鈥淭o be most effective, it needs to be implemented more gradually and with a little more sensitivity to the character and form of the neighbourhood.鈥�
He opposed both developments, pointing to the need for density without destroying established communities. Coun. Rick Webber disagreed that the projects would have a detrimental impact.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 subscribe to the idea that the arrival of nine townhomes, or whatever, is gonna wreck the neighbourhood,鈥� Webber said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 as bad as some of these letters are spelling out.鈥�
Coun. Loyal Wooldridge backed the developments, stating that moderate-density housing is a necessary part of the city鈥檚 growth.
鈥淭ime and time again, we hear from residents that 鈥榳e don鈥檛 want six-storey buildings, we want townhomes鈥欌�攚e don鈥檛 want townhomes, we want duplexes,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淎nd at the end of the day, we hear from many other residents that need to find a place to live here.鈥�
He also pushed back against the idea that the city needed 鈥渟aving鈥� from infill.
鈥淚 think our community is growing, it鈥檚 changing, and with that comes challenges in some neighbourhoods,鈥� Wooldridge said. 鈥淚 think we do our best to mitigate that. From my perspective, this isn鈥檛 intensive infill.鈥�
Deputy Mayor Luke Stack said he believes many 麻豆精选 residents support the densification of the central core of city and said that infill development is the planned path forward.
鈥淯ntil it arrives on their street鈥攖hen it鈥檚 personal,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is where I go outside, and this is where I walk my dog, and this is where I let my children play.鈥�
He said that change is difficult but necessary to prevent uncontrolled urban sprawl.
鈥淚t鈥檚 basically wired into our Official Community Plan. That this is the direction we need to go, otherwise we would have endless sprawl going up our mountainsides, and I know the public doesn鈥檛 want that either.鈥�
Stack added that developers should be consulting with residents to ensure new projects fit into existing neighbourhoods as smoothly as possible.
Council adopted rezoning applications for both developments with Cannan opposed.
