MORRISTON – Despite objections from local residents, Puslinch council approved a housing development proposal in Morriston on June 18.
The property is at 11 Main St. in Morriston and is currently vacant, although the 23-hectare lot includes wetlands and woodlands.
The property is located near the corner of Highway 6 and Badenoch Street, which is the main intersection in the hamlet.
The plan is to build 21 homes, ranging in size from 2,500 to 3,000 square feet, each on half-acre lots.
Each would have its own well and septic system and there would be a stormwater management pond to handle drainage on the site.
The proponent, WDD Main Street Inc., proposed at a previous meeting to give the property around the stormwater management pond to the township for passive parkland use, which council accepted.
The company will still pay parkland dedication fees.
WDD Main Street will build a new interior road that would connect with the existing Back Street and Ochs Street.
Most of the resident objections raised at public meetings in March were about the added traffic on existing roads and particularly the intersection of Ochs and Badenoch.
Alterations and a new retaining wall will be constructed at Ochs and Badenoch to improve sightlines.
Mayor James Seeley lives near the proposal and declared a conflict of interest.
So councillor Jessica Goyda took the chair’s seat and led the discussion on June 18.
Kayly Robbins, a planner with Weston Consulting acting on behalf of WDD Main Street, said the development would benefit existing residents and the township, noting many of the residents’ concerns would be addressed during the draft plan of subdivision process.
Council asked Robbins if the proponent would hold another informational open house to inform residents about the proposal and hear any concerns related to the development itself, to which she agreed.
Councillors had concerns about the new road and where it will meet with an extended Ochs Street.
Ochs will be extended between two existing homes to the new subdivision, “and I’m concerned this secondary roadway is not getting the same scrutiny as Ochs and Badenoch,” said councillor John Sepulis.
Goyda said she shared the concerns of the two affected property owners about how the extended Ochs Street might affect the grading of their properties.
Council went into a closed session to discuss the two particular properties and returned to approve the zoning change request.
Puslinch council also agreed to recommend to Wellington County that the proposal be approved.
The county will consider the matter at a future meeting.
