Plans for a proposed housing development were put on hold by city council Monday night.
The plan would see the third stage of the Dawson Heights Community plan completed, which would include 42 new houses west of Tuscany Drive. While residents weren’t opposed to the new houses, they were concerned about a part of the plan for 61apartment units. Developers couldn’t say whether those units would be high-rise condominiums, townhouses or apartments. So council referred the zoning by-law changes until it has more information.
Liz Kingston, one of nearly a dozen residents near the proposed development to make a deputation Monday, said as a mother of two children under eight, she’s concerned that 61 new units in the area would increase traffic and change the neighbourhood.
“I worry that the kids would be at risk,” Kingston said.
Andrew Schach said he worries about a higher population density in the area should apartments pop up. And because no one knows what kind of development is planned, his property value could be impacted.
“That gives me a cause for a lot of concern that I don’t know what’s going on right in my backyard,” Schach said.
Coun. Trevor Giertuga, who tabled the referral back to administration, said that residents in the area need to know what’s going on with the development.
Mayor Keith Hobbs agreed.
“I would like to know specifically what’s going in there as well,” Hobbs said. “I don’t like voting on things I don’t know about.”
The proposed amendment will come back to council whenever the developer has more information.
