St. Davids residents concerned about development

Niagara-on-the-Lake has approved the first step in a housing development project being planned for St. Davids — one of two potential residential projects local residents are voicing concern over this winter.

The owners of two properties at 134 and 140 Tanbark Road received approval from the town’s committee of adjustment to sever two lots of land, occupied by two single detached homes, from 1.55 hectares of property behind the homes’ backyards, situated between St. Davids Estates and Courtland Valley Estates.

According to the planners with Upper Canada Consultants, developers hope to build homes on this vacant land.

“It’s creating a strong opportunity for future residential infill,” said town planner Mark Iamarino, noting St. Davids’ Secondary Plan includes intentions of dividing up and consolidating land in the community for future development.

“The nature of the future development of these lands is not known at this time, and will be subject to additional applications,” said junior planner Ethan Laman during an open house meeting held to share details of the zoning amendment being proposed.

The severance of these two lots was a separate process from the other main two steps of this project. An application to rezone the lots the two homes sit on is before the municipality, which will designate them as residential zones. This will allow the developers to apply to rezone the vacant 1.55 hectares for site-specific residential development, at which point they will share the specifics of their development plans for this part of the neighbourhood.

They will also need approval to consolidate this vacant land with two other strips of property, one adjacent to southern Hickory Avenue, and the other Dyck Lane, a right-of-way easement which provides access to those 17 properties facing northern Hickory Avenue.

Locals had plenty of questions for planners during the open house and public meeting held on the land severances at 134 and 140 Tanbark Road: they shared worries about what the future residential development means for their neighbourhood.

“I get a feeling that St. Davids is becoming a bedroom community,” said Hickory Avenue resident Donna Hatton during the Jan. 19 public meeting. “I’m not against growth: it happens in life, there are major changes. But I think (we need) very careful consideration of what we’re doing with our small town.”

Dyck Lane residents in particular had questions about what will become of the easement they use to access Tanbark Road, and which others use to access them.

“We have a legal right of way to Dyck Lane,” said resident Mike Maves. “I’m not fundamentally opposed to responsible development … but I’ve got some concerns about the sequence of events that are ongoing right now.”

Maves said he wants to see “assurances” about how residents will be able to access Tanbark Road once Dyck Lane is gone: otherwise, there could be issues with delivery vehicles, emergency vehicles, garbage collection and road maintenance.

“If the future involves closing Dyck Lane — and let’s not kid ourselves, the writing does appear to be on the wall
in that regard — we need proper frontage and road access,” he said.

Others shared similar concerns about road access, the loss of housing frontage, increasing road traffic and impacts to the local environment: resident Keith Lord voiced concerns about the future of a large clump of evergreen trees on the western edge of the land.

“We’re very concerned that they’re going to be totally destroyed,” he said during the open house.

Another potential housing project in St. Davids is the subject of an open house meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 8: Developers have created plans for Tawny Ridge Estates, sets of single-detached homes, townhouses, and other residential units, at Tanbark and Warner roads.