Oxford County politicians dig in on higher-density housing

Politicians in Oxford County have given the green light to a proposal that will add nearly three-dozen homes to the rural community of Tavistock.

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Oxford County council voted to approve the draft plan to construct 34 townhomes on six residential blocks in the southwest area of ​​Tavistock – a village north of Woodstock.

“We need this type of home,” Coun. Phil Schaefer, who also serves at mayor of East-Zorra Tavistock, said on Friday. “I like the fact that the density is at the high end of the medium-density spectrum, which is good.”

The 34 homes will be serviced by municipal water and wastewater systems, while a block for stormwater management is also being proposed, as is a road to connect the development to Highway 59.

Shaefer said only 25 of the homes can be completed because of the town’s pumping station capacity, but upgrades should be completed by 2026 or 2027, adding, “it should all work out.”

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Oxford County Deputy Warden Brian Petrie echoed Schaefer’s sentiment on the development’s density in an interview on Friday.

“We’re seeing the market respond to create more density, create more affordability and that’s something certainly in the rural (communities) that’s just starting, but it’s encouraging to see,” Petrie said.

Schaefer said construction should start this year, but didn’t say when it would be finished.

Schaefer and Petrie’s enthusiasm for subdivisions with higher density underscores Oxford County’s need for additional housing.

Projections in a November report indicate the mostly rural county’s population is expected to increase to 155,000 by 2031 from the estimated 126,700 headcount in 2021. It’s expected to spike to 223,600 people by 2061.

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Many people are drawn to the county from larger urban centers such as the Greater Toronto Area, Waterloo and London due to more affordable housing and a shifting work dynamic to hybrid and remote employment, according to the report.

But the influx of residents has some politicians concerned Oxford County isn’t prepared for the expected growth. That makes higher-density housing all the more important, Schafer said.

“The massive growth Oxford County is experiencing can be problematic because it puts a strain on our human services, and it puts it puts a strain on all the services that we need to provide,” he said.

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The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada

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