Despite parkland and affordability concerns, Belleville subdivision gets planning approval

The planning advisory committee meets on a monthly basis and will reconvene again on February 2. Photo by Max Reid, QNet News

By Max Reid

BELLEVILLE – Members of Belleville council’s planning advisory committee are expressing enthusiasm for a proposed subdivision in the city’s northeast end, but where to place the neighbourhood park turned out to be an issue that divided members at Monday’s meeting.

The committee, made up of city councillors and community members, gathered at city hall to discuss the rezoning of several pieces of land at Farnham Road and Scott Drive, where a residential subdivision is being proposed. The subdivision plan calls for a maximum of 367 housing units – a mix of detached homes, townhouses and condominiums.

A key issue was the developer’s rezoning request for the subdivision’s open space, which would place the neighbourhood park in a central one-hectare location – as opposed to a two-hectare section along the Moira River that is currently designated for parkland. The developer, GCL Developments of Belleville, wants a medium-density residential zoning on that riverfront section so it can build townhouses there.  

This re-designation of land on the riverfront would still require a 30-metre buffer between the townhouses and the nearby provincially significant wetland that is considered undevelopable land. Residents would have access to the wetland area as it would remain designated as open space in addition to the more centralized park location.  

Committee member Paul Jennings took issue with the plan to move the park area. “They tried to address it by suggesting that the undevelopable land around the pond area would make up for that missing open space. To me that’s not developable land so that doesn’t seem like a fair trade. They’re giving away land they can’t develop anyway.”

Jennings said he is concerned that “we’re taking away what seems to be an obvious great spot (by the river) for a park along the city bike path trail system and putting townhouses there, and moving the park to the middle of a field.”

But committee member David Joyce responded to Jennings’s concerns saying, “We moved the open space to something that’s probably more central to the whole subdivision now. Before, it was close to the water and was going to be ideal for those living there, but I think the idea of moving it to the middle makes it more sensible for everybody.”

Affordability of the residences in the new subdivision was another point of contention at the meeting. Councillors Pat Culhane and Bill Sandison pointed out that there are no applications to build apartment buildings. Belleville is dealing with a shortage of housing, especially affordable housing.

“These homes, I’m sure, will be lovely, but (the price will be) beyond the reach of many people,” Culhane said. 

But both she and Sandison voted in favour of the rezoning proposal, while Jennings voted against it. The proposal received a majority vote in favour and now goes to city council.