Rick McElheran is fighting to stop the construction of a new condo building in Kitchener’s Chicopee neighbourhood.
“It’s just wrong. It’s absolutely wrong.”
The plan is to build a three-storey 68 unit condo development on Morrison Road next summer. The site, which overlooks several backyards, is currently a green space.
Residents are upset the city is moving ahead with construction without consulting them on potential privacy issues and safety concerns.
“These units are three-storeys high,” says MeElheran. “The living quarters are on the top floor so they’ll actually be looking down from the living quarters down along the properties on this street.”
More than 200 residents have already signed a petition asking the mayor and city council to intervene on their behalf. They claim proper protocol was not followed when trees were cut down before the city approved the builder's plan.
The city and the builder, Cook Homes, says residents are misinformed.
“We worked with the developer to bring them into compliance,” says Janine Oosterveld, the manager of site development and customer service for the city of Kitchener. “We can’t speak to the requirements through bylaw enforcement because it's a confidential matter.”
Residents are also asking for a traffic study, but the city says it’s not needed.
-- With reporting by Brandon Rowe
