New housing development proposed for Waterford

A major housing development is being proposed for Waterford.

Verlinda Homes wants to construct a 272-unit housing project on a 3.49 hectare parcel of land at 257 West Church Street and McCool Street. The development would include apartment and townhouse-style condominiums as well as single-detached homes.

The proposal, presented to Norfolk County councilors at a public hearing committee meeting Tuesday, includes plans for commercial space and amenities, including a day care.

“We are providing cost-effective housing through this development and an enormous range of different housing styles which are unique to Waterford and unique to Norfolk County,” John Vallee of G. Douglas Vallee Consulting Engineers, Architects and Planners, said.

Vallee brought the proposal to the county on behalf of Verlinda Homes.

The proposal includes single family homes, one storey, studio, one bedroom units as well as provisions for accessory dwelling in some of the homes.

Vallee also told councilors the proposal fits with the Norfolk’s official plan which encourages transitioning vacant industrial sites to new uses including housing.

The project, dubbed The Silos of Waterford, is on a former agricultural supply depot. There are 13 silos, storage buildings, a bus depot and a fueling station on the property.

Vallee told councilors the proposal begins with single family homes on McCool Street and then transitions to condominium-style townhomes. The eight-storey apartment-style condominium is at the rear of the property away from McCool Street and bordered by a rail trail and McNichol Street.

Plans call for the silos to be taken down in the fall with the demolition completed by December. There are also plans to remediate the site, councilors were told.

As part of the proposal, some of the model homes will be constructed with accessory dwelling units. The idea is to give potential buyers an opportunity to see what homes with secondary housing look like.

Mayor Amy Martin and Coun. Kim Huffman were pleased with the idea of ​​model homes with accessory units. However, concerns were expressed about the impact of the proposal on parking in the area as well as traffic on West Church Street.

“My question is about traffic,” Huffman said. “It’s a very congested area and I’m looking for more information about the study.”

Vallee said a study has found that even though the development will generate more traffic, the roads and infrastructure in place at present is capable of handling it.

“I’m not an expert on traffic but I hesitate to agree with you on that,” Huffman said. “West Church Street is a very narrow area.”

Huffman said that there are other developments planned for the area. And while she’s pleased to see a range of housing as part of the development she doesn’t want it to result in a lot of congestion.

Huffman said a lot of people are concerned about the amenities – the restaurants, retail outlets – that are part of the proposal.

What happens if, for some reason those amenities or other uses don’t materialize, Huffman asked.

Tom O’Hara, one of the partners involved in the development, said the project will be built in three phases starting with the single-family homes, followed by the mid-rise condominiums.

O’Hara told Huffman he believes that development will get the interest and sales needed to construct the mid-rise townhomes.

He later said if the sales don’t materialize, the proponents would come back to the county with a new lower-density housing proposal.

“Our goal is to put in some great services,” O’Hara said. “We know that with this kind of density we need a day care.

“We feel a restaurant would also be appropriate.”

Councilors also heard from members of the public with some supporting the proposal and others objecting due to the impact it would have on parking and traffic in the neighbourhood.

The proposal and comments from residents were accepted as information by the committee. It will come back to councilors for a decision at a future meeting.

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