Imagine Meaford writes to Mayor Clumpus and Council in response to SkyDev’s revised site plan.

OCTOBER 14, 2021

Dear Mayor Clumpus and Members of Meaford Council,

Imagine Meaford would like to comment on SkyDev’s revised development proposal for the parcel of land on Meaford’s waterfront.

We are pleased to see that the revisions address some of the concerns expressed by Imagine Meaford and other citizens in the municipality. However, we wish to reiterate that this land falls within Special Policy Area #1 of Meaford’s Official Plan, and we continue to look to this Policy as a development framework that should be followed. Accordingly, the following points remain a concern: 

1. Density is still an issue. The parcel is less than 2 ½ hectares, and even provided the lower number of units in the revised plan, the built forms plainly occupy too much of the space. Greenspace is still scarce, and too much of the site will be surface parking. Imagine Meaford is not convinced that the number of allotted parking spaces would be sufficient once the development is fully occupied. This raises issues of manoeuverability of safety and service vehicles, snow removal, overflow parking on surrounding streets, and other concerns that will ultimately cost the Municipality and taxpayers.

2. Imagine Meaford is not confident that the municipal roads surrounding the proposed development will be able to handle the inevitable increase in traffic. This issue has not been sufficiently investigated and given that there are only two roads to enter and exit this waterfront complex, traffic congestion will invariably be a problem. Should a traffic light be required to improve traffic flow at a later date, it is a significant taxpayer expense. 

3. We are concerned that a reputable hotelier has not yet been announced, and we firmly believe a commitment from a partner hotelier is an absolute must before any approvals are given by the Municipality. The hotel is essential to this development and represents the “Public Good” of why the lands can be redeveloped (Section”B” of the Official Plan B1.8.2.2 Hospitality, Tourism and Service Sectors).

4. The revised site design, even with changes to the orientation of some of the buildings, remains walled off and inaccessible to the public. According to OP B1.8.1.1 Vision for Special Policy Area #1: “It is the intent of this Plan to encourage the redevelopment of this area into a pedestrian oriented, mixed-use area.”  This site plan does not achieve rather, the development acts as a barrier to residents who want to engage with the waterfront. This development should integrate seamlessly with the surrounding community. 

In conclusion, Imagine Meaford would like to emphasize that our waterfront is a jewel that deserves a broader vision than the piecemeal approach we see happening. In fact, the development proposed for this site is inconsistent with the Official Plan (Page 50) Section B1.8.1.2 that states: “The lands will be planned and redeveloped in their entirety as opposed to being developed in an ad-hoc or piecemeal basis.”    

We therefore are asking Meaford Council to commit to more public consultation and dialogue with SkyDev with the end goal of making this development the best it can possibly be for our community. It’s what Meaford residents deserve.

Respectfully,

IMAGINE MEAFORD, Residents for good growth.