The Voice of North Grenville
The North Grenville Times
The Voice of North Grenville
Reaching by direct mail 8,500 homes and businesses in North Grenville www.ngtimes.ca
March 30, 2023
Vol. 11 No. 12
Navigating North Grenville's Growth
STEVENS CREEK DECOR CENTRE
BLINDS SHUTTERS DRAPERY WALLPAPER & THE FULL LINE OF CANADIAN MADE CLOVERDALE
PAINT
613-706-1250 2678 COUNTY RD 43 KEMPTVILLE
by Mayor Nancy Peckford Our community is changing, and with that change comes lots of conversation and reflection on how we are growing as a Municipality. Perhaps the most recent example of this is the proposed 168 multiresidential units at the site of the old Kemptville Public School. Not surprisingly, the value of this residential development has been scrutinized at length, including the concerns from those directly and indirectly impacted by the development. All of this makes sense. When properties are rezoned to accommodate growth, it can feel disorienting, disruptive, and at times, undemocratic. It is not with a light heart that Council
makes these decisions, recognizing that change comes with consequences, both positive and negative. Council's job in these moments is to reflect on what we have heard from the community in terms of their priorities, listen carefully to the crucial input of the Municipality's own staff, as well as feedback from residents and businesses. With this information, we must ask the tough questions, be vigilant in ensuring we have all the information, and ultimately, make a decision. Any time a new development is proposed, or an existing one may expand, issues like traffic control, road safety, loss of trees, noise and disruption during construction, as well as
infrastructure costs, are top of mind. What also needs to be examined is whether or not the desired outcomes for a new or expanding development will, in fact, be achieved. In the case of the proposed 168 units on Reuben Crescent, at its December meeting, our Council provided clear direction to staff in three key areas: 1) Let's start with the description of all of the rental units as “affordable”. Affordable means very different things to many different people and, while we recognize that these potential 168 units on Reuben are likely to be rented at a more accessible price point, they are not rent geared to income, or subsidized units, based upon people’s ability to
pay. Consequently, Council rejected the proposal by the developer that only 15 percent of units would be truly affordable, and staff were tasked with the job of finding a higher percentage. At the same time, Council recognizes that the most successful affordable housing developments are ones that have a mix of income levels and family types, so finding the right balance is key. 2) In regard to the potential impacts on municipal infrastructure, Council, with municipal staff's support, placed a holding symbol on the entire development, which means it absolutely cannot proceed without confirmation – by externally commissioned studies – that the water and sewer needs of the three buildings can be serviced by the existing underground infrastructure in this area. If the studies demonstrate that they cannot, the Municipality will not lift the holding provisions until the Municipality has a legally binding agreement with the developer to pay for all upgrades, in addition to a downpayment on the upgrades required. 3) In terms of road safety and traffic controls, should this development come to fruition, traffic patterns will change to some decont'd on page 2
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March 30, 2023
1 139 Prescott St., Kemptville
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