MAJOR DEVELOPMENT DESERVES MORE THAN 15-MINUTE GAWK

Before cows are born and traffic is clogged with exhaustive farts permeating Heritage Perth, let's try to take a breath.

If a developer wants to invest millions of dollars in Perth, I think they deserve more than 15 minutes to share their plans.

'A TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE'

Caivan has already dropped more than $12 million on a 950-unit housing development surrounding the Perth Golf Club, an area cited in the town's Infrastructure Master Plan (IMP) as one ripe for expansion.

Susan Murphy and Hugo Lalonde from Cavian were allotted 15 minutes as a delegation at the council meeting on March 7. They didn't get to a lot of what they wanted to discuss.

Councillors could not get past the idea that a second Tay River crossing was not in the cards at this early stage of development — which will take decades to complete at a rate of about 40 new builds per year (that's the approximate number allowed in Perth annually).

Yes, I agree that it will be a bit of a clog-and-slink show getting out of the golf course on Peter Street if there are 1,500 vehicles trying to leave in the case of an emergency ... in around 2063 — four decades from now, when the completed community will be at full capacity. By that time, people will be hovering out of town.

Engineers have studied this project every which way to Sunday and have come up with a solution they believe will work — twinning the Peter Street bridge. This will work in the short term, they say, during which time they can further study the traffic flow as the build progresses. A second access point to this community is part of this equation, but not yet.

I spoke with Murphy and Lalonde a couple days following their presentation to council. They heard councillors — loud and clear — and will try and appease them with a solution to this issue.

A letter to the editor this week stated disappointment in the presentation. What about heritage buildings, environmental concerns and building more homes for those in need of housing? All fair points, which I asked about.

Heritage? They are aware of the heritage of Perth and will be using these elements in their designs — but they aren't that far along in their plans yet. They must get approved to move forward first and this bridge is a hurdle right now.

Environment? Caivan recently opened a manufacturing facility in Ottawa where all timber components of the home are made. Not one piece of wood is wasted as the facility is able to calculate where excess wood from one home could go into another build, Murphy said. New homes will be built in Ottawa then shipped to Perth to be erected at the site. Their building standards will also include low-flow toilets, LED lighting, double-paned windows and all the good stuff that environmentalists will squeal with delight to see (I was squealing with delight on this aspect). These standards change all the time, and they must adhere to them.

Cavian is also are taking into consideration the incredible green space on which they will be developing this community — incorporating walking trails, pathways, landscaping to meet those needs and not impinge upon the natural beauty that draws people to this town.

Affordable housing? There is an option for homeowners to house secondary units on their properties.

In an email exchange with Mayor Judy Brown, she noted that "provincial (regulations) don't allow any development charges on affordable housing. Bill 23 lowered the requirement for affordable housing in any new development from 25 per cent to 5 per cent."

As far as the town offering a break on development fees, Brown said they spoke with a consultant a couple of years ago, "and he strongly advised that we were too small a town to have the financial base to do that."

As for looking for ways to provide affordable housing, Brown said they are in the beginning stages but can't offer more details on plans yet.

"We do have a grant for $5,000 for people who want to build a secondary unit in their backyard," she said. "The first of these will go up this spring."

Brown said that while council members are cognizant of the need for affordable housing, it is the county that is tasked with this responsibility.

"Fortunately, I am chair of that committee at county council," she said. "I will watch vigilantly for any grants coming down the pike."

In the meantime, let's Invite Murphy and Lalonde to town — maybe the golf course, where plans include a new club house and a reworked 9-hole course — for an open house so that the members of the community, and others interested in this development, will be able to ask questions and see plans without the 15minute gavel banging with seven minutes remaining.

There's lots to see and discuss with this multi-million-dollar project.