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Glen development to have more green space, less pavement Continued from pg. 1 He noted the new plan has solved 95 per cent of the key issues raised by the residents last spring when it was presented in a public meeting. "From the very beginning, Sheridan Nurseries has been determined to do the right thing to deliver the best possible development to the hamlet of Glen Williams," he said, pointing out the company could have sold off the land to a developer, but instead decided to spearhead the project itself in the best interest of both the Glen and the company. Wayne van Hinte, member of the Glen Williams Community Association, said this was the first time that guidelines under the new Glen Williams Secondary Plan had been used to develop a new subdivision in the village. GWCA still has concerns over the number of lots and the buffer tree strip to separate the new neighbourhood from the rest of the village and the rural area. While the Town and Sheridan Nurseries advocated a conservation easement under homeownership, van Hinte said he had little faith in that device, and preferred to see the 20 metre (66 ft) "line in the sand" in public ownership with accompanying trails. He said GWCA would continue to advocate for publicly-owned (residents)," said Ward 4 Councillor Bob Inglis. "It appears in the spirit of co-operation there was a lot (of agreement) here." Sheridan owns about 700 acres in rural Glen Williams and stated last spring it has no plans to develop those lands into residential housing. The current plan's lots are oriented to prevent opening access to Tenth Line, and thereby possible future development of the adjacent acreage. The development in Glen Williams will incorporate sustainable storm water practices with the goal of helping to maintain current environmental conditions in the Credit Valley watershed. Christine Zimmer, senior water resource engineer with Credit Valley Conservation, said the Glen Williams development is a pilot site, and while there have been certain initiatives in B.C., there are no other locations in Canada that include the practices "to the level in this project." Reducing paved surfaces in the development is key to decreasing the amount of runoff and contaminants flowing into the streams. So, in this development, road widths will be narrower by two metres. There will be no curbs or gutters and instead there will be permeable surfaces on both sides of the roads. There will also be no sidewalks. Zimmer said this will allow "for more infiltration opposed to the run-off." "This way you are recharging your groundwater," said Zimmer. She said the developer has been "very accommodating" in developing the plan with Credit Valley Conservation. She also credits the Town, and Robson in particular, for being supportive as well. "They have been able to maintain a lot of the greenspace with woodlots," said Zimmer. Zimmer said this type of planning differs from the current practice because it looks at storm water management up front during the development process. She said they have learned that storm water ponds, which have been in use since the 1970s, are "not good enough from a water quality and erosion standpoint." She said their studies show that if Halton Hills continues to grow as it has, its sub-watershed, which is considered un-impaired now, could become seriously impaired. "There's a link between ecosystem health and public health," said Zimmer. --With files from Lisa Tallyn, staff writer (Cynthia Gamble can be reached at cgamble@independentfreepress.com) A 91-home environmentally-friendly subdivision is planned for Glen Williams on current Sheridan Nurseries property. Photo by Ted Brown buffers in future Glen develop- vastly different form after the ments. summer of negotiations than the Ward 2 Councillor Joan Rob- spring plan due to the willing son, a Glen resident, motioned to involvement of both GWCA and have a clause included in home- Sheridan. Instead of a "cookieowners' agreements that they be cutter" subdivision, there are made aware of the buffer and now varied lot sizes and shapes, their responsibilities toward it. varied setbacks, better street layGWCA still also has serious out, removal of sidewalks to concerns with traffic, and the reflect the rest of the village, and impact it will have on Prince St. additional green space. and the rest of the village. Ward "The result is a far better plan 2 Councillor Bryan Lewis said he than what we started out with," believed Sheridan's traffic study she said. to be flawed. Mayor Rick Bonnette agreed, Council agreed to refer discus- and commended Sheridan's willsion about a traffic management ingness to compromise with the plan and calming study for Glen existing residents. He said this Williams to the 2007 budget plan better represents the village debate. than the one first seen in April. Robson said the plan is in a "This is a big deal for the Glen