Developers mull plan for services
Province rejects municipal grant application for water and sewer lines in Hastings
The province has rejected a municipal application for funding to upgrade the sewer and water systems on Front Street West in Hastings, so two developers are working on a plan to share the costs so their projects can go ahead.
During a meeting on Tuesday evening, Councillor Gene Brahaney asked what the plans were to provide services for a proposed development by Grey Jay Development Inc. and the Hastings Hilltop subdivision across the road from it, since the province has rejected the town’s application for a grant.
Planning Director Jim Peters said the two developers are aware that the province has turned down the town's application and are looking at sharing the cost.
Brahaney said he believed Hastings Hilltop, which has had preliminary approval for 115 units since 2011, had been delaying construction awaiting provincial funding for the services.
As I wrote in June, a company representative said the developer has to include the high cost of services when setting home prices.
The meeting on Tuesday was to consider a proposal from Grey Jay to put 20 townhomes and four semi-detached units on the former site of the Riverside Pavilion at 196 Front Street West. The proposal is affiliated with Benbrooke Homes, which is currently building 16 units at Lock 18 on Pond Street.
Details of the development have not been confirmed, but the plan is to have narrow lots and a narrow roadway that will be maintained and plowed by the condominium corporation, as has been approved for Lock 18.
Councillor Dennis Savery asked whether the road will have sidewalks and consultant Kent Randall said no, none are planned, but they could be built on Front Street if it is upgraded.
Planner Cameron Law said the project will have a density of 47.6 units per hectare, more than another other project in the municipality, but units still will not be considered affordable under provincial guidelines.
To be affordable in this area homes would have to sell for $322,000, the province says. Law noted that it usually costs developers more than that to build a home.
The province describes affordable housing as:
“housing for which the purchase price results in annual accommodation costs which do not exceed 30 per cent of gross annual household income for low and moderate income households; or
housing for which the purchase price is at least 10 per cent below the average purchase price of a resale unit in the regional market area.”
Randall said the developer does not expect to set prices at that level.
Councillors also questioned the lack of green space in the Grey Jay plan since the lots will be smaller than normal and will require exceptions to standard requirements. Law said the developer will pay $1,000 per unit toward park services elsewhere, rather than provide land. There will be shared access to the Trent River for owners via a walkway between the semi-detached units.
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Excellent! After all, what I really miss from living in the GTA is a sprawl of characterless cookie-cutter houses on minuscule lots, all with driveways just big enough to contain the largest pickup truck available. And on streets that are so narrow that pedestrians and cyclists will fear for their lives as said trucks careen down their laneways? What an extra special bonus!
I agree with Langford, it seems to me that the developers want to come in and have the Prov. Govt. To upfront the cost along with the Local Municipality. This came clear to me when on Trent Island with numerous water main breaks and maybe more that haven,t been discovered. We have paid our utilities for years and then get told they have no money. I am glad that the Municipality found some money to do a partial up date. Has been a long four years of complaining. Hats off to councillors Gene for asking the question.