Concerns about potential flooding of neighbouring properties and stormwater management issues were raised during a public meeting on a proposed development of the former Harriston Senior School property at 54 George Street.
The town has agreed to sell the 6.5-acre property, which it purchased from the Upper Grand District School Board for $60,00 in a deal which closed last June, to developers Jeff Metzger and Jeremy Metzger. The proposed purchase price is $105,000, but the deal is subject to a number of conditions relating to preparing the property for development, confirming service requirements and addressing zoning issues.
The public meeting was held to deal with a proposed amendment to rezone the lands from Institutional to site-specific Residential (R2). The developers are proposing to develop the property for residential uses, such as single, semi-detached and townhouse dwellings. They are also seeking a reduction in the exterior side yard setback requirements. The development will also include a park. The amendment may also include an adjustment to the Flood Fringe overlay zone (FF1) on the property.
Details provided on the proposal at the public meeting were limited.
“At this point, it’s just a concept plan and there is no draft bylaw in place because there is still some tweaking going on,” said Wellington County senior planner Linda Redmond. However, she noted, the county is generally in favour of the proposal.
“At this point we’re very supportive of it. It’s a great use of vacant land and it adds to the density you are trying to achieve.”
While noting the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority has some concerns with elevation levels on the property, Redmond said, “I know the applicant is working with the conservation authority to determine what those elevations are going to be.”
Redmond indicated the rezoning proposal meets the intent of Official Plan policies.
“Overall this development appears to be an efficient reuse of an existing vacant school property and a great example of intensification and in-fill,” Redmond stated in her written report to council.
The report noted a draft bylaw would be coming before council at a future meeting.
George Street resident Ken Porter asked about plans for locating a storm water management pond on the property.
“Will it be full of water all the time? Will it be fenced? Will it be a breeding ground for mosquitoes?” Porter asked.
“If I wouldn't want to live in the neighbourhood, I’m not going to build it. I’m not going to design it. I wouldn’t want a mosquito pond beside my house,” replied Jeff Metzger.
Porter also questioned the capacity of the storm sewers in the area to handle the flow from the development.
Public works director Brian Hansen responded that the storm sewers would be upgraded this year “and they will be able to handle it.”
Porter asked if the upgrade would be done at the town’s expense, or the developers?
“It will be both,” responded Hansen.
Porter said the storm sewers had been redone about 20 years ago.
“If you’re going to redo the storm sewers every 15 to 20 years, that’s a big infrastructure problem that you have,” he stated.
Metzger said the development shouldn’t put any additional pressure on existing storm sewer systems. He pointed out the entire property in front of the school building (150 feet) currently drains toward the road. Once the stormwater system in the development is in place, he said, after the first 25 feet, everything would drain back into the stormwater pond.
Another neighboring resident, Neil Murray, who said his house was built over 50 years ago, expressed concern that some of the lower lying lots in the area could experience flooding as a result of the development.
“Engineers are great, but things don’t always turn out the way they say they will,” Murray cautioned.
Jeremy Metzger told the Advertiser the number of housing units to be located in the development hasn’t been finalized and will depend on engineering reports on stormwater capacity.
“We don’t want to be building something that’s going to affect the other guy that’s already there, and we don’t want to build something that will affect our buildings, we don’t want them to be flooded either.”
He also confirmed the old school building, which has been vacant since 2009 and left unheated for the last several years, will be torn down if the development proceeds. He said consideration was given to retaining the gymnasium portion, which was added in the early ‘70s for community use, “but it was too far gone.” The original school building was built in 1955.
Jeff Metzger said the developers plan to maintain a walkway between George Street and Minto Clifford Public School, “so the kids do not have to be re-routed to the highway.”
