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www.insidehalton.com |OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, July 21, 2017 |2 Most are saying `No' to Glen Abbey development by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff Density, traffic and destruction of a Canadian jewel were among the concerns voiced as residents got a better look at ClubLinks development plans for the Glen Abbey golf course property Wednesday (July 19). Property owner ClubLink presented its application data to the community during two public information meetings at Town Hall, which collectively drew more than 100 people. The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) deemed ClubLinks application to develop the property complete June 22, but Town staff is quick to point out the project is far from being a done deal. The property owner is intent on building 3,222 residential units (141 single detached dwellings, 58 townhouses, 2,434 apartment and townhouse units, 589 mixed-use apartments and townhouses) on the 92.7 hectacre property. The plan calls 28 four-to- eight storey mid-rise apartment buildings and nine nine-to-12 storey apartment buildings. Another 69,000 square feet is being set aside for commercial/retail uses while 107,000 square feet (including the existing Raydor Estate) would be used as office space. ClubLink officials point out 50.11 hectares (54 per cent of the total site) would be publicly-accessible greenspace. This includes 34.60 hectacres preserved as part of the Natural Heritage System (NHS), remnant wood area or buffer (including the 31.39 hectacres Sixteen Mile Creek Valley); 10.62 hectacres of parks and open space; 4.32 hectacres of storm management ponds; and a .57 hectacre Enbridge easement. Despite the greenspace, the plan was not well-received by many at the meeting. "We don' t need this in Oakville," said Steve Cullen, who lives off Neyagawa Boulevard. "Glen Abbey is an Oakville institution. What else do we have to attract people to this community?" He charged the plan is poorly designed, as it proposes to pack thousands of people into a property with only three exits, one on Upper Middle Road (signalized) and two on Dorval Drive (one signalized, one not). "You're going to put thousands of people in this place. Most of them are going to work, so what happens when they all try to leave at rush hour? Traffic on Dorval Drive is already horrendous." Woodfield Road resident Julianne Guselle said the proposed development would negatively impact surrounding residents who paid a premium for homes near the golf course. She said she is not opposed to some development, but argued what is being proposed is simply too much. Guselle said the Town should purchase the property and turn it into parkland. "I would pay more taxes to keep this as parkland rather than see this happen," she said. Robert Visentin, ClubLink senior vice president, said while the main feedback he is hearing so far from residents is that they don' t want any development at the site whatsoever, he is confident that attitude will change. "They just don' t want it. It' s not really a dialogue. It' s just `No.' That' s the feedback we' ve been getting so far," he said. "I think now the Town has deemed the application complete, through the OMB process, w e' re going to start engaging in a more meaningful dialogue about what is practical on the site if the golf course isn' t there anymore." When asked about density and traffic concerns, Visentin noted the site would have a live, work, play aspect to it that would encourage residents to get out of their vehicles. "We' v e tried to create a sensitive site. It' s a livable site. The urban design has created many neighbourhoods where you can walk to things," he said. "We're going to have some employment on this site and some residences on this site. We believe there will be improved transit. Better bus routes because of the additional density." Other residents at the meeting said they found information about traffic, economic and infrastructure impacts lacking. Clearview resident Catherine Wood acknowledged growth is necessary to have a sustainable community, but said a balance needs to be found describing the proposed development as "too dense." Still another resident said Oakville is failing as the steward of a Canadian jewel, which regularly hosts the Canadian Open. "This would not happen with Augusta or St. Andrews," said one resident. "But because this is Canada it' s supposed to be OK? I don' t think so." Save Glen Abbey Coalition spokesperson Fraser Damoff, said the process shouldn' t be moving as quickly as it is, particularly when Letourneau Heritage Consulting listed the Glen Abbey Golf Course property as a place of significant cultural heritage in need of protection during an April report to council. He argued the discussion should not yet be around how tall apartment buildings should be. Damoff also said the plan' s creator has no real understanding of the community or its goals, citing the community' s single bike lane and its overall design. "If you wanted to do it right you would have four or five exits from this community, but this just speaks to what they are trying to do here. They want to build so much up in this little parcel of land to maximize the profit and it just doesn' t fit with the community at all," he said. Town staff is expected to bring a recommendation concerning ClubLink' s development proposal before Town Council Sept. 26. For more information about the proposed project, visit www.glenabbeyplan.com. k v Boot I fe e l it in m y fe e t! 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