A proposed condo development at 7582 County Rd. 9 includes eight single detached dwellings (shown in yellow), 34 two-storey townhouses (pink), 48 three-storey townshouses (light purple) and 34 three-storey back-to-back townhouse units (dark purple).

Residents packed into council chambers for a public meetings Wednesday evening, drawn by two contentious development plans; one for Creemore and one for Nottawa.

During the three-and-a-half hour meeting, 15 people came to the podium to voice concerns about the condominium development proposed for Creemore.

Kevin Bechard of IPS Consulting, on behalf of his clients behind numbered company 2826878 Ontario Inc., presented a plan for eight single detached dwellings and 116 condos at 7582 County Rd. 9.

The purpose of the meeting is to hear public input with regard to a request to change the property’s land use designation from future development to residential; and rezone portions of the lands from development area to residential multiple low density, residential multiple medium density exception zones, and recreational.

A site plan shows 34 two-storeystandard townhouse units; 48 three- storey standard townhouse units; 34 three-storey back-to-back townhouse units; in addition to eight single detached units outside of the condo area. Theproposed townhouse dwelling units will be developed through a common element draft plan of condominium application. The developable area of the property is about 2.9 hectares in size with frontage on County Road 9, Collingwood Street, and Fairgrounds Road South.

Bechard described the back-to-back townhouses as sharing side and rear walls, with no yards.

He said the developer decided to add the eight houses to stage the height increases as a way of transitioning the site from low to high density.

He said the proponent’s goal is to provide housing opportunities and attainable options.

“This application, from our perspective, assists the municipality in providing an increased range of housing options, encouraging residential intensification, which is a priority in the Official Plan,” said Bechard.

Issues raised by the neighbours included an increase in traffic, a lack of servicing, capacity at recreation facilities and the school, ecological impact, drainage and flooding.

With 474 homes awaiting construction at the corner of County Road 9 and Mary Street, there was concern voiced for how much growth the small village could handle and how quickly.

“It’s scary,” said Greg Neelin, who grew up in Creemore. “You’re taking a mass influx of people.”

He said he is all for growth, but at what rate?

“It becomes very concerning, as a local, and as someone who has a one-and-a-half year old child, who is concerned about theft and bringing in the wrong people. That’s my biggest concern, it’s the development and growing at an exponential rate.”

“I am not against development but I am against this development. It’s totally ridiculous to even think about this in the first place,” said lifelong Creemore resident Ronny MacDonald. “Creemore is not ready for townhouses.”

“[I’m] not against development. I think we need the right development. I think we need to complete the development that’s already in process,” said his daughter Kaitlyn MacDonald, who went on to say housing is needed for seniors who wish to remain in the community as they age and people who grew up in Creemore and want to establish in the community.

She said, “We know what happens in our town and the shifts that are happening and this development is going to make these issues worse not better.”

Others questioned whether condominiums are desirable to people buying homes in Creemore, referencing the availability at the other condos in town.

“Currently there is a significant amount of housing inventory within Creemore and the surrounding area,” said real estate agent Val Smith. “There’s eight unsold builder units in The Brix, plus many more resale units, and those prices are continuing to drop ... The demand and need for condos is very relevant here.”

She said, “These circumstances raise an important question; does the community currently require additional residential lands now to be brought forward or would it be prudent for us to allow existing approved and available housing opportunities to be absorbed first?”

Several residents also voiced concern about a proposed entrance to the proposed condo community off Fairgrounds Road South.

Chris Gallupe said in his 38 years living at the foot of Ten Hill he has seen an increase in traffic and speeds. He worries that adding an access road there will cause traffic to bottleneck and back-up, creating a safety hazard for other motorists and cyclists.

“The proposed location of the entrance would shorten any vehicle’s stopping time,” said Gallop, especially in winter.

The meeting was quite heated at times with the audience applauding almost every speaker.

Kieron Rupke, who lives across from the site and shares her neighbours’ concerns, said it’s really disingenuous to talk about affordable housing, “when we know it’s really about making money, right? Let’s not beat around the bush.”

Many comments conveyed to council a perception that people looking to purchase homes in Creemore prefer single detached homes with backyards and lots of treed green space.

With a lack of available capacity at the Creemore Wastewater Treatment Plant and limits on available municipal water services developments in Creemore are stalled. Bechard said 2826878 Ontario Inc. is now a participating member of the Creemore Landowner Group, which consists of developers looking for servicing solutions to advance their projects.

Public meetings were held for three other projects on the same evening.

Five people spoke in opposition to a proposed development at 57 Batteaux Rd., and how it relates to the Georgian Communities Village of Nottawa project.

Nottawa Limited Partnership is asking to rezone the property from residential hamlet and development area zone to residential low-medium density exception to facilitate the development of 47 single-detached dwelling lots of varying sizes and frontages, two open space blocks, and one road.

Nottawa Limited Partnership is looking for servicing solutions to complete the Georgian Communities 500-home development 3977 County Road 124, and for the whole village.