YACHT CLUB SURVEY PLAN PUNTED PAST ELECTION

TIME NEEDED TO ADDRESS NEIGHBOURS' OBJECTIONS, AREA'S COUNCILLOR SAYS

After already begging off twice, city councillors have postponed a decision on a contentious plan for a 35-home survey near Stoney Creek's lakeshore until after the Oct. 24 municipal election.

Coun. Maria Pearson said she asked staff to remove the proposed fourth phase of the Newport Yacht Club subdivision from the Sept. 20 planning committee meeting agenda to allow more time to address neighbours' objections.

"I'd rather do that than to ram this through and nobody's happy," she said. "I've got one side saying, absolutely not, they're not giving in, and the other side saying, no, they're not giving in."

Planning staff is recommending approval of zoning and draft plan applications for the survey, proposed for a 2.6-hectare vacant property north of the North Service Road between Jones Road and Sunvale Place.

Co-builders Marz Homes and Losani Homes have argued that the survey completes a decadesold municipal plan for the area, but councillors deferred decisions at July 5 and Aug. 9 planning committee meetings in response to neighbourhood concerns.

Existing homeowners object to losing the use of Lakeside Drive to exit onto

Jones and Sunvale. The plan will create cul-de-sacs at both ends of the private road until properties there are developed, redirecting traffic through a new road network in the meantime.

Neighbours have also opposed paying to hook up to the survey's sanitary sewer — existing homes have septic beds — and to the removal of two woodlots, which they say will displace the area's animals and birds.

They have questioned the compatibility of the new, larger homes and contended that a plan to provide public access to a naturalized lakeshore lot where a stormwater outlet will be located will encourage trespassing onto their private beaches.

Pearson said even she was confused by the lack of clear responses to the concerns at the July and August meetings, but she believes there are three key issues in dispute.

They are the residents' wish to have the stormwater outlet's lot fenced so there is no public access, to continue using Lakeside Drive to exit onto Jones and Sunvale and to connect to the sanitary sewer for free, she said.

Pearson said staff advice is that the developer can legally create the Lakeside cul-de-sacs and try to recoup the cost of building the sanitary sewer by charging for additional hookups.

"All of this came in at the eleventh hour. I was not happy. Now I'm hearing they want all the hydro services put underground. I don't think that was ever on the table," she said, adding that burying hydro lines is so expensive, the city doesn't do so for road reconstructions.

Efforts to obtain a comment from the planning consultant for Marz and Losani were unsuccessful by deadline.