City council gave their blessing to build a controversial subdivision along Mountain Road.
Council voted in favour of a planned 25-lot development subdivision at Monday night’s meeting, with Neebing Ward Coun. Linda Rydholm being the lone voice of opposition.
The plan is comprised of 25 lots for single detached dwellings, two green space lots, two blocks for future road widening for Mountain Road, two blocks for 0.3 metre reserve along the road and one new street.
Residents in the area will be serviced by city piped water and individual private septic systems.
But Coun. Rydholm said there are already about 300 new homes planned for the ward, including more than 100 on Mountain Road.
“It’s a country road with no lights at night,” She said during the meeting. “There’s about 328 lots in south Neebing and just 25 for the Mountain Road area. This is a very serious matter.
“I remember a former city engineer used to say ‘please no more roads they cost us a lot to maintain’. This is another city road that we would be adding with this subdivision. There will be costs to us.”
She said the area has plenty of problems and the recent flooding has shown that water drainage is a major concern. With everything that’s happened, residents in the area are questioning the city’s decision to move ahead with this, she said.
Mark Smith, the city’s manager of Development Services, said proper water drainage is a major challenge with suburban developments.
“Suburban development is the least disable form of residential development because we’re importing city water and dealing with it through private septic systems,” Smith said. “But we have an opportunity to direct those flows to where they will be welcomed.”
In 2002, applicant Ryan Jones wanted to build a condominium on land on the south side of Mountain Road directly east of the Fort William Country Club. After neighbourhood complaints about everything from traffic to environmental impact, city council turned down the request.
Plans had changed in 2009 for the 18.125 hectare piece of land, instead calling for 25 lots, two green spaces and a new street.
The previous request received 15 letters of objection, this time there is only one concern from the Thunder Bay District Health Unit because the development would only be partially serviced.
