Chateaux of Caledon plan has lots of foes in the public eye

Caledon East residents were not pleased in May, with what they heard about Chateaux of Caledon's plans to develop some 500 homes in the village, and they still don't like it.

A large crowd at last Wednesday's public information meeting made that very clear to representatives of the developers, as well as Town councillors.

The density of the proposed development was a main point that residents raised at the meeting, which lasted more than three and a half hours. As well, many of them paused on their way out the door to sign a petition, addressed to the mayor and councillors.

The petition statement charged the development proposed in this application would represent "an excessive and unsustainable growth for the Caledon East community."

It also expressed concerns for the village's ground water supply, the fact that water drawn from the local aquafier would discharge into Lake Ontario; impacts on fish life in the creek system around Caledon East; possible levelling of hills to accommodate the houses; precedents the development could set for future development in the village; whether the local schools could accommodate the increased population and if the Town was able to deal with the increased traffic.

The development is proposed for approximately 86 acres at Lot 21, Concession 1, in Albion. It takes up most of the land at the northwest corner of Innis Lake Road and Old Church Road, wrapping around the St. Cornelius Catholic School property.

Upwards of 150 people were at the meeting in May, at which Town officials stressed the proposal was in compliance with the Caledon East Secondary Plan, and Senior Policy Planner Kathie Kurtz made a powerpoint presentation last week, outlining what the secondary plan calls for.

Planning consultant Paul King commented that the meeting was held to deal with three separate issues, namely applications to ammend the Town's Official Plan, the draft plan of subdivision and a required rezoning.

The proposed Official Plan's amendments also include the shrinking a proposed neighbourhood park from roughly 4.4 acres to about two acres.

King explained there are a lot of playing fields and facilities around the nearby Town Hall and Caledon Community Complex, so a smaller park with playground equipment was thought more appropriate. He also pointed out the park will border on the school property.

Another Official Plan amendment is to change the designation on land next to the school. It had been set aside in case it was necessary to expand the school, but King said the plan now is to put a stormwater management pond there.

Other Official Plan amendments being sought address open space areas at the north end of the site, and special use areas at the south, which are to include the form of town square, retail and commercial uses and live/work residential units.

One man at the meeting, who had been part of the focus group that helped prepare the secondary plan in the late '90s, seemed to look favourably on the proposal, but he was in a minority of those who spoke.

One woman reflected on how Mclean's magazine had stated Caledon was the safest place in Canada earlier this year, and she feared that would change if the subdivision goes in.

"Do we need such a condensed housing development?" she asked, fearing such densities would attract crime and drugs to the area.

She also pointed out two schools are in the neighbourhood. "Innocent children and teens need protection," she said.

The woman also pointed out there are lots of activities available for kids in the village now, but adding more young people will create waiting lists, meaning some of them might have nothing else to do.

"Once it is done, and crime moves in, we cannot reverse it," she remarked.

The Town can't block development, one 10-year resident of the village observed, but she said the Town can make it the right size and have it conform with the vision of Caledon East. She also drew applause from the audience when she suggested capping the development at 350 homes.

She also suggested that if Caledon East ends up with fewer homes than had been planned for, that additional allocation could go into Bolton.

In addition, she didn't have much faith in the concept of Caledon East being a live/work/play community. It's a commuter community, she asserted, adding the part of the plan that calls for four-storey townhouses, "simply does not fit in this community."

There were also questions about transit, with Councillor Richard Whitehead commenting there are plans for GO buses to run to Caledon East in a couple of years. They will run to a central point south of Bolton, where there will be a link with the transit systems in York Region and Brampton. Another woman expressed her concerns for the environment and ecology if 500 new homes are built. She said they will impact on the watertable and local drainage, adding water shortages have been a trend over recent summers, and she said that trend is likely to continue.

"It's the future that we need to think of," she asserted, adding Caledon East will lose its rural character if this goes through.

One man observed some of the proposed lots are going to have 36-foot frontages. "All you're going to see is a garage," he declared.

The idea of the live/work units was a concern to one woman, who said she had visited a similar development in Mississauga. People there told her of problems with high turnovers, parking, deliveries, lack of storage area and snow-clearing.

"I fully believe we're making a great big mistake here," she said. "I think it's a pie-in-the-sky idea that professionals would want to live there."

Another man charged that council has a responsibility to protect the current residents from a development which "has all the potential of depreciating the quality of life for those people who are already here."

One woman blamed the province for this issue, commenting Queen's Park has decided where growth will take place. "I don't think you guys can help us very much," she said.

"It's an excellent plan done for the developer," commented a woman from Caledon village. "I don't think there's much here for the residents of Caledon."

There were suggestions that the province be approached to change the plan for where growth should go, but Mayor Marolyn Morrison said that's not going to happen.

She pointed out the numbers are called for in the secondary plan, and that took five years to put together before it was approved by council.

Morrison agreed some people don't like the numbers. "But eventually it fits in," she said. "eventually, we all learn to live with it."

She also agreed parking will be a huge issue as a decision is made on this. As well, she said there needs to be more consideration of trails. "Caledon east is a walkable community," she said, adding that the trail system is important.