Breslau residents pushing back against proposed 96 unit development in quiet neighbourhood

A group of residents living in a Breslau neighbourhood have filed an appeal with the Ontario Land Tribunal, hoping to halt a proposed development on their street.

Two adjacent lots on Beacon Point Court are set to be turned into a six storey apartment building, with 82 units and 14 townhouses, by developer Thomasfield Homes Limited.

Neighbours said they’re not opposed to development on the lot, but they worry the current infrastructure can’t adequately support 96 new units.

“The size and the scope of the development really seems to be out of line with the neighbourhood character,” said resident Martin England. “It’s going to mean more traffic, it’s going to mean we’re going to need additional space for parking.”

The neighbours pointed out that there’s limited transit options in the area, which they said would likely result in all the new residents needing vehicles. They also said the proposed build would only have the minimum required parking spots which might not be enough.

“We’re very isolated here and you’re going to move a ton of residents, and basically double the size of our neighbourhood, by putting up this development and these people are isolated out here. They have to take their car to go to work, they have to take their car to go for groceries. They have no other option,” added resident Eryn Koncir. “We didn’t choose to live behind a six story apartment building. We would just like to see a smaller scale of development. We’re in favour of supporting the housing crisis but let’s be respectful with these choices.” 

Staff for the Township of Woolwich said the project meets all the mandatory requirements for parking, traffic flow and noise.

Council has approved the most recent proposal and the necessary zoning bylaw that would allow for the residential development with some commercial included. Previously, it was zoned for a business park.

“It was slated for a business park area to be developed – that hasn’t taken place, nothing has been progressing over the last 15 years, so [the applicant] looked at alternatives to how to develop these lands in a more beneficial way,” explained Jeremy Vink, the manager of planning with the Township of Woolwich. “Here was a good spot that transitions between existing residential and commercial.”

The township said the proposal will help to diversify its housing options.

“There’s only one other large apartment building in Breslau, so this gave an opportunity for something else in Breslau at this point, in this neighbourhood and this commercial area, so it was a good fit,” Vink added.

He explained amendments were made to the original proposal based on feedback from residents and said the apartment building’s location was pushed back on the lot, farther away from existing homes. The parking lot entrance was also moved from near the homes on Townsend Drive to Beacon Point Court to limit the traffic impact on residents.  

CTV News reached out to Thomasfield Homes Limited for comment but staff weren’t available on Monday.

The residents who filed an appeal with the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) are asking for the plot to be rezoned back to its original category. They’re also hoping to settle on a compromise with everyone involved.

“That would be our goal – that we could meet in the middle and we could all collaborate together on a solution that would be best for everyone,” Koncir said.

According to Vink, it’s now up to the OLT to make a ruling before any plans can go ahead.