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Authorized by the Official Agent for Michael Chong. Photo by: © Couvrette 1-800-837-7075 | michael@chong.ca | www.chong.ca GreenPAC Endorses Chong for Re-Election as a Strong Environmental Leader Chong one of only eighteen candidates across Canada endorsed Find out more at GreenPAC.ca •Tree Pruning • Removals • Storm Damage • Small Shrub & HedgeTrimming •Tree Cabling & Bracing • Stump Grinding IT'S LONELY AT THE TOP email: jay@hilltoptreecare.ca www.hilltoptreecare.ca FREE Estimates • Fully Insured Office: 905-877-5279 Cell: 416-996-9338 We do ALL Automotive Maintenance CAA Approved Vehicle Repair Facility Serving Halton Hills & Georgetown Since 1985 ™ 354 Guelph St. Unit 21, Georgetown 905-877-8220 bstephens@quikautokrown.com - Ask about our monthly specials NEWS Plans for a six-storey, 112-unit retire- ment home in north Georgetown drew a small crowd of concerned resi- dents to a Town of Halton Hills public meeting at the Civic Centre on Mon- day evening. Those in attendance voiced their thoughts on everything from parking impacts on local streets to whether or not the building proposed by Credit River Ridge Developers would fit with the character of the neighbourhood. The facility, named Williamsburg Creditview Seniors Living, is slated for a property at the northeast corner of Mountainview Rd. N. and John St., backing onto Credit River Valley lands. The 112 units would include 10 studios, 86 one-bedroom and 16 two-bedroom units that are all equipped with kitch- enettes. There would also be a com- mon dining room, lounge, exercise room, salon/spa, theatre and multi- purpose activity room. While the plans call for the build- ing to project eight metres into the woodland buffer area, the developer's planning consultant, Ken Dakin, said his clients are proposing a restorative vegetation planting plan to balance out the encroachment. Both the Region and Credit Valley Conservation have expressed concerns with this idea, said a report from Town Senior Planner of Development Review Mark Kluge. Neighbour Martin Van Pamelen voiced his worries about the potential for storm water from the retirement home site to flow through his property and affect his aquifer and "pristine" on-site ponds. "It's our livelihood; it's our prop- erty; it's our backyard; it's our home," he said. Dakin said the bulk of the storm drainage from the property will be di- rected to the Mountainview Rd. storm sewer, while the back of the site will continue to drain as it does today. The plans also call for a swale that would collect surface water and discharge it into the valley lands. But this answer didn't satisfy Van Pamelen's aunt, Fern Wolf. "I'm not convinced the drain-off from the property isn't going to cause a significant problem over our roadway," she said. "And what recourse do we have then when it's all built?" Several residents, like Bona Lea Al- lard of John St., disagreed with the de- veloper's assertion that the retirement home fits with the character of the area. "I really don't see how this build- ing in its shape and height fits into the neighourhood at all," she said. "To see that this is the direction someone wants to take is quite upsetting." She also said she thinks the pro- posal of 83 underground and seven surface parking spaces isn't enough. "There've been issues with parking on our street for quite some time. This is going to multiply those issues." But Dakin contended that the building does fit with the "mixed phys- ical character" of the neighbourhood, which includes an existing six-storey apartment building, medium-density townhouses and older single-family homes. And when it comes to parking, Da- kin said the number of spaces they're proposing is more than what's usually allotted in other municipalities, since Halton Hills doesn't have a public tran- sit system. "Our traffic and parking consul- tant concluded the number of parking spaces we propose is more than ad- equate," he said. John St. resident Angela Meyer said she thinks the retirement home would have a big impact on the nearby town- homes. "I think a nice, small development, even for older people, without it being six stories might be more applicable to the neighbourhood," she said. "So many units in such a tight area, so close to the river, is rather dense in my mind." In order for the plans to proceed, both zoning and Official Plan (OP) amendments would need to be ap- proved by council. The 1.5-acre lot is currently zoned for low and medium- density residential development, while the retirement home would require site-specific high-density resi- dential zoning to accommodate the 96,000-square-foot building. Town staff is now awaiting further public comments on the proposal and working through the issues raised. Staff will then report back to council with a recommendation on the zoning and OP amendments. Neighbourhood concerned about proposed seniors residence ByMelanie Hennessey Special to The IFP Graphic cour- tesy of Credit River Ridge Developers Pa ge 8 T hu rs da y, O ct ob er 1 , 2 01 5 - T he IF P - H al to n H ill s - w w w .th ei fp .c a