Proposed residential development in Shakespeare receives mixed reaction from Perth East council

By Galen Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Though still in early stages of predevelopment work, representatives of developer Tridon Group Ltd. recently shared details with Perth East council of a proposed residential development in Shakespeare.

At the May 6 Perth East council meeting, Tridon Group Ltd. owner Don de Jong and Montana Wilson of GRIT Engineering Inc. presented an early concept drawing and vision for the proposed residential development at 2148 and 2160 Perth Line 34 in Shakespeare.

According to a letter sent to Perth East CAO Mike Givens, the developer has entered into an agreement of purchase and sale with the current property owners, Linda Raye Knechtel and Gerald Knechtel, and Daniel Knechtel, John Knechtel, Brian Knechtel and Nancy Oldroyd with the intention of expanding the existing residential community in Shakespeare to help accommodate projected growth for Perth County.

“We come to you with Linda and Gerry Knechtel’s property to the east side of Shakespeare as a development vision that we’re quite excited by, provided we can work … through the process,” de Jong said. “ … We’ve done quite a bit of work and … we have substantiation from a number of team members and experts in (minimum distance separation), Geotech, traffic, engineering, supporting absorption economics and we’ve had quite a fair bit of consultation with our friends at the (Ontario Ministry of Transportation).

“It’s important that council recognizes some of the aspects, and what we see (here) tonight is a portion of a vision of development that we’re to complement for the area to show to council that we (have) something that has merit. I think what we’re recognizing and listening to, especially with your great school there, is that you have capacity in school, you have facilities that can complement development with services, we have some other amenities we can bring to the community where, to the east (of the property) at some point, there is a commercial vision there, and we’re wanting to introduce this … and answer questions you may have.”

Currently designated under the County of Perth Official Plan as agriculture, natural resources/environment and adjacent land, the property is nearly 38 hectares in size with frontage on Perth Line 34 and Lindner Court. Nearly 8.4 hectares of the property’s western half is being proposed for the first phase of residential development with an early conceptual plan that includes 82 single-detached dwellings, 32 street townhouses, municipal roads including the extension of Lindner Court, parkland and a walkway for neighbourhood connections.

An official plan amendment is required for Perth East and the county to consider a privately initiated urban-boundary expansion necessary to bring this subdivision to fruition. De Jong said Tridon Group will be submitting a draft plan of subdivision and zoning bylaw amendment applications to implement the proposed official plan amendment.

“In our opinion, the proposed development supports the overall growth anticipated in Shakespeare, including existing undeveloped lands within the settlement area,” said Baker Planning Group principal planner Caroline Baker in the letter to Given. “There is mutually beneficial coordination of municipal servicing across the settlement area, as well as continued coordination with the Ministry of Transportation.

“The proposed development is anticipated to be phased over time, demonstrating demand and need for a range of residential-housing types in Shakespeare. With the full vision for the development, the applicant envisions the potential for commercial uses to support 15-minute neighbourhoods, older adult-oriented housing and affordable housing. The first phase of proposed development will provide for the extension of municipal roads and the joint upgrades to municipal servicing for both existing development lands and the proposed development.”

Though they acknowledged the developer likely doesn’t have answers to their questions at this point, councillors Andrew MacAlpine and Bob McMillan sought clarification around what affordable housing would actually look like and how the concept of a 15-minute neighbourhood – urban areas designed to allow residents to access most of their daily needs within a 15-minute walk or bike ride – could apply to the proposed Shakespeare development.

MacAlpine also expressed his excitement for the possibility of commercial development along Perth Line 34 toward the east side of the property, to which de Jong said he hopes that aspect of the development could begin as soon as the necessary sanitary sewer infrastructure is in place.

McMillan, meanwhile, pointed out what he saw as a major flaw in the development’s concept design.

“I see this as a commuter subdivision. No one is going to be living in Shakespeare and working (in Shakespeare),” he said. “ … In the sketch – and I realize it’s just a sketch – none of this subdivision makes any sense to me. … The only way this sketch works for me is if there’s access to Line 34. You guys think you’re going to have 114 residences (accessed) through an existing, poorly designed subdivision that has poor access onto (Perth) Road 107? It doesn’t make any sense. … Unless there’s an access on Line 34, … this sketch is garbage.”

Councillors also asked how the proposed development would directly benefit the people of Shakespeare, what the proposed parkland would look like, how a subdivision with only single-detached homes and street townhouses would diversify housing in the village, and what future phases of development would look like.

“I would have a hard time supporting development – and I understand people need houses and things like that – to have farmland turned into housing when we already have land in Shakespeare that’s not developed yet,” deputy mayor Hugh McDermid added. “That’s a big hill for me to climb.”