There’s a lot of opposition to a proposed housing development which would feature 156 residential units of various kinds not far east of Haig Road in Belleville.
The proposal calls for 99 single family dwellings, and 57 townhouses.
Close to 20 people spoke against allowing the so-called Hanley Park North subdivision to become a reality at a virtual meeting of Belleville’s Planning Advisory Committee Monday night. A petition against it has over 2,100 names on it.
The development would take up less than half the property which features a large Provincially Significant Wetland and there would be no development in the wetlands or within 30 metres of it.
Planners for the property owner say the owner would gladly turn over about 68% of the 85-acre property to the city or Quinte Conservation. The housing development would also feature walkways and areas where the public could freely access the green spaces.
Residents nearby say the subdivision would ruin a beautiful natural habitat which people have enjoyed for generations. Some of the development would be on land now occupied by old growth forest with many large sugar maples well over 100 years of age.
The residents say the property, which Bell Creek runs through, is home to beavers, fox, and many other woodland animals as well as many species of birds and plants, some of which are endangered.
Resident Kelly Rumble said the city should be preserving green space. “We keep encroaching on nature and it’s morally wrong. This green space is an asset and we are ready to fight this development with open hand.”
Other residents stressed that the kind of development proposed would be well suited to the land around Haig Road and Station Street now sitting empty.
Mayor Mitch Panciuk said the property was never meant to become residential.
“I think that traffic issues, the loss of green space, having a construction route through the green space is not a starter for me. We have a lot of hurdles to overcome.”
One major concern with the development is that there would only be one entrance and exit to the development, with that being onto Tessa Boulevard, which is a quiet neighbourhood street. There are plans for an emergency exit onto Victoria Avenue that wouldn’t be used regularly.
City staff will bring a recommendation report back to the planning committee for decision at a future meeting.
