Wellington North to sign subdivision agreement with Deer Ridge Heights

MOUNT FOREST – Despite public opposition, Wellington North council authorized township staff to sign a subdivision agreement with Deer Ridge Heights. 

“This is just the next, normal step in the process and I think we need to make sure that we are keeping the process moving,” said Mayor Andy Lennox during a Sept. 21 council meeting. 

The developer’s proposal includes 411 homes – detached, semi-detached and townhouses – in Mount Forest’s south end.  

Council also expressed unanimous support during the meeting for a three-year extension for the developer’s subdivision plan. Wellington County holds decision-making authority for the extension. 

The developer is asking for more time to meet conditions for the subdivision’s draft approval and to finalize a subdivision agreement with the township.

According to Deer Ridge Heights chief financial officer Ian Letford, “It is taking longer than anticipated to complete the process for the submission for final approval. 

“We have also not been pushing to expedite the project due to the current depressed new housing market in Ontario,” Letford states in a letter to Wellington County planners. 

“We will potentially see the market changing in the next coming year and wish to get phase one started in the spring.” 

Deer Ridge Heights paid Wellington County $3,350 for the extension. 

The proposed subdivision would be built west of Highway 6 and north of Bentley Street on a 31-hectare (77-acre) property within Mount Forest’s urban boundary. 

The plan is for the subdivision to include 411 residential units: 231 detached homes, 60 semi-detached homes and seven townhouse blocks with 120 townhouses total.

Developers are also set to build a three-hectare commercial block at Highway 6 and Bentley Street; an open space of a similar size between South Water Street and the former CPR Railway; a stormwater management area beside the open space; a walkway; and associated roads, hydro and infrastructure. 

Wellington County initially approved a draft plan for the subdivision in 2018, when the property was owned by Avila Investments. An initial three-year extension for the plan was granted in 2023. That extension was set to expire on Oct. 3.

“The new ownership has all the same obligations as the old owners,” Lennox noted. 

He said he doesn’t expect the recent extension to be the last one: “This is a phased development – this will have to be extended each time, every three years, as the phases proceed.” 

In 2022, the township rezoned the residential portion of the property and granted developers 75 units of sewage allocation for the subdivision. 

The proposed commercial area will need to be rezoned (with public consultation) before final approval, and an additional 336 sewage allocation units are needed. 

Councillor Penny Renken asked if the proposed commercial area could potentially become residential, so that it doesn’t take away from Mount Forest’s downtown core. 

Chief building official Darren Jones said, “I suppose that may be an option, but that is not what township staff are anticipating.” 

Lennox said there is a demand for more highway commercial in Mount Forest, “so I think we would need to think long and hard before we re-designate … I do think as the community grows there will continue to be a need for highway commercial, and that is a prime location for that.” 

According to a report from Wellington North public works staff, an engineering design review for the subdivision is “nearing completion.” 

Before anyone moves into the subdivision, developers will need to enter into an agreement with the Ministry of Transportation and complete any needed Highway 6 widening and improvements to facilitate access to the development.

Staff state in the  report that they are satisfied “that this proposed development will be constructed in a manner that is consistent with municipal standards and best practices.”

Michelle McInnis, who is running for council (Ward 1) and lives near the proposed subdivision, was among the neighbours with concerns. 

She asked council to “defer authorization until the election results are known, protections are explained publicly and nearby residents are consulted.” 

McInnis said she understands Mount Forest needs housing and is not anti-development – “I am pro-responsible development.

“Development should strengthen a community, not overwhelm its infrastructure, leave neighbouring residents feeling powerless or transfer growth-related costs onto the people who already live here.”

The proposed development, McInnis argued, will “affect our roads, water, wastewater, stormwater systems, traffic and municipal services. It will also directly affect the people whose homes and backyards will border it. Supporting housing does not require us to accept less transparency, less consultation or fewer protections.” 

She said there are already limited options for indoor recreation, and “Before adding hundreds of new families, we need an honest plan for the recreational capacity they will require. 

“Responsible development must include places for people to gather, play and belong, not simply places for them to live.” 

McInnis also expressed concerns about property taxes or water and wastewater rates increasing to fund infrastructure expansions necessary to accommodate the development. 

“Council should be able to explain publicly what the developer will pay, what the municipality may be expected to pay, why that division is fair and what protections prevent unexpected costs from being transferred to residents later,” McInnis said.  

She is also concerned about drainage, dust, noise, truck traffic and potential property damage during grading and construction, and how such issues will be handled. 

Another of McInnis’ concerns is transparency, as after spending weeks studying the project, she is still struggling to find information.

“Transparency is not simply placing hundreds of pages online. It is making the consequences of a decision understandable to the people who will live with them,” she said. 

Deferring the decision, McInnis said, would “give staff time to provide a plain-language public summary of the agreement and allow nearby residents and the developer to meet before the agreement is signed.”  

Applause reverberated through the council chambers after McInnis finished speaking. 

Mayor Andy Lennox thanked her for coming to council and reminding him of “all the work that council and staff have completed together to ensure that growth is positive to the community and not overwhelming.” 

The issue is “very near and dear to my heart,” Lennox said,   

Most people aren’t fully aware of how municipalities manage growth, he said – “it is a complex topic.” 

He explained how various master plans and policies guide growth and noted, “All these master plans are public documents … crafted with numerous opportunities for public participation.”

“They are huge documents,” he added. “It’s a challenging file for everybody.”  

Lennox explained development charges, paid to the township by developers, “are supposed to ensure growth pays for growth. 

“It’s an incomplete tool to keep the burden of existing rate payers protected,” he said.  

“It is absolutely critical to make sure that we keep the rates that people have to pay in a manageable range, not only now but for many years to come.”

Lennox added, “All of this together … has been a central theme of my time here as mayor.” 

From his perspective, Wellington North is “the best prepared municipality in Wellington County … and the reason that we are well prepared is so that we can accommodate growth and ensure that growth works for the residents and not only for developers.” 

While council discussed the two motions on the table (the subdivision agreement and the extension), Lennox waived the rules of decorum to allow members of the public to ask clarifying questions and share more concerns, including flooding, tree maintenance and communication. 

He said he would make sure the developer holds an open house “and invites people to have a conversation about things like the trees as it proceeds.” 

When council voted unanimously to authorize the mayor and clerk to “enter into the subdivision agreement in the form or substantially the same form as the draft subdivision agreement included in the bylaws section of this agenda,” residents got up and walked out. 

At least one told members of council she hopes they all lose their seats on election day.