Editor and Meaford Residents,
Will you help us in opposing Sky Dev’s attempt to pave paradise to put up a parking lot please? If you are available to attend the Committee of Adjustment Public Hearing regarding this “Minor Variance Application” it will be held at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25, at Council Chambers, 157859 7th Line, Meaford. If you intend to speak please email deputyclerk@meaford.ca or notify the deputy clerk on your intent to speak on arrival. Otherwise, please email your opposition in writing regarding 226 Boucher Street East File No. A10-2025. Your voice will matter.
For those of you not up to speed, a bit of history on the development on our beautiful waterfront. For over 100 years, Knights’ owned a hardwood manufacturing facility next to our harbor. They sold the land understanding that the rezoning was to be single residential housing development. However, Sky Dev purchased the land to build high density being a mix of hotel, townhouses, and rental mid-rises. The community was outraged with the proposed plan in which Sky Dev went to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT), where it received approval in 2022, and eventually the dust settled. On November 3rd Sky Dev presented to council their Updated Plan in now increasing outdoor parking to 242 parking spots.
Negative Impacts with Sky Dev’s Updated Plan to replace our greenspace with 242 outdoor parking spaces:
- Environmental: Large parking lots contribute to heat island effect, producing polluted storm water and can cause flooding issues.
- Safety: Large residential parking lots are often targets for criminal activity due to their transient nature and lack of constant activity putting our children and vulnerable seniors at risk, even with cameras.
- Noise: 242 car doors slamming, cars starting, alarms going off, winter snowplowing and truck removal of snow.
- Traffic: Increase in congestion on residential streets not designed to handle this type of volume with only entrances to project being on Boucher and Bridge.
- Pollution: Air quality with increase in traffic and outdoor parking and night time light pollution.
- Quality of Life: Complete elimination of all green space in the neighbourhood. Children who currently safely play in our neighbourhood are now highly exposed to traffic accidents. No longer a desirable walkable beachfront community. No greenspace for the tenants private use.
So the dust has once again stirred up in our neighbourhood. We are not opposed to bringing rentals to Meaford. We are strongly opposed to the removal of the green space, removal of the underground parking, an increase in density and height, and a Walmart looking parking lot directly across the street from a family friendly quiet neighbourhood which completely will devastate our waterfront environment and exposes our families and visitors to crime, noise and pollution.
Our neighbours were personally reassured by Greg Jones that Sky Dev would keep the large berm with trees in an effort to put lipstick on this pig (parking lot). This is not shown in their submitted drawing, leaving our waterfront neighbourhood exposed to this large ugly looking 242 car paved parking lot view, noise and pollution.
B1.5.4 Guiding Principles The following principles are intended to guide land use and development in the Urban Area Waterfront. Land use decisions should aim to:
a. Protect the environment for the benefit of current and future generations.
b. Promote a healthy waterfront.
c. Promote the urban area waterfront as a gateway and focal open space area.
Sky Dev’s Minor Variance application does not meet the criteria as required and governed as follows:
Four Tests:
1. The variance must be minor – FAILS
2. The variance must be desirable for the appropriate development or use of the land, building or structure – FAILS
3. The general intent and purpose of the Zoning By-law must be maintained (TBD)
4. The general intent and purpose of the Official Plan must be maintained – FAILS
Special Policy B1.8.1.2 Development Principles
c. The development will be compatible with surrounding residential uses and streetscapes.
e. The development will provide pedestrian linkages and public spaces and access to the waterfront and will minimize the amount space used for parking cars.
Government of Ontario Section 224. It is the role of council: to represent the public and to consider the well-being and interests of the municipality.
Thank you Meaford Residents for standing up for our waterfront neighbourhood. We hope you will find the time to attend this meeting and/or email in your opposition to paving paradise to put up a parking lot.
Danielle Hessell, chose to plant roots, raise a family, and became invested in the future of Meaford over 10 years ago.
Donna Earl, generational roots in Meaford being a community leader in having worked with the Meaford Base, Chamber of Commerce, and a strong event volunteer, including our scarecrow festival.
Judy Pryma, frequent visitor to husband’s family farm in Heathcote as a teenager and now retired, having to learn to become a community activitist.
