Brant County mayor backs local residents in their concerns over proposed Scotland development

Mayor David Bailey and his council garnered smiles from a group of Scotland locals on Tuesday night after backing their concerns over a proposed 108-lot subdivision at a planning and development meeting.

“Does it seem appropriate? Does it seem like you should do this?” Bailey posed to Bob Phillips from J.H. Cohoon Engineering, an agent for landowner Michael Haley.

“It’s not the right thing to happen,” Bailey told Phillips, urging him to listen to the concerns of local residents, who Bailey added he’ll be prepared to defend at the next meeting.

The question was not if a subdivision should be built at 29 Thirteenth Concession Rd. — the former agricultural lands are designated suburban residential in the current official plan, and have been for a while, councillors clarified.

Rather, the concerns stemmed from how the proposed 108 single-detached homes — and park, stormwater, and mixed-use residential commercial block — would fit with the current community and infrastructure, and affect the quality of life for nearby residents.

Scotland, a small community 20 kilometres southwest of Brantford, has one restaurant, two breweries, a farm market, gas station, and elementary school with space for 225 students.

The 85 acres in question are currently farmed.

They’re surrounded by farmland, low-density residential dwellings, and small-scale community uses, like the Scotland Community Centre and fire station.

“It just doesn’t fit,” Coun. Robert Chambers told Phillips, referring to the draft plan as “a cookie-cutter urban subdivision plan.”

Local resident Sabrina Hart suggested that fewer homes on larger lots would be more reasonable than “packing them in like sardines” on the proposed reduced lot area of 2,000 square metres.

Councillors also had questions about the plan’s disregard for the 3,000-square-metre lot area requirement — which ensures the lots have safe water and limited impact on the community as a whole, county planner Kayla DeLeye told council.

Phillips told councillors the lot size was supported through a hydrogeological study, and said Haley has indicated “some desire” to work with the county.

DeLeye told council staff requested the applicants hold off on submitting their completed application until a master environmental servicing and community master plan for the Scotland-Oakland area is ready — sometime before the end of the year.

It will give direction as to how land in Scotland-Oakland can be developed as a “complete community,” DeLeye told councillors.

However, the applicant went ahead and submitted their zoning bylaw amendment and draft plan of subdivision.

That means the clock is ticking for councillors to make a decision, if they want to avoid an Ontario Land Tribunal appeal.

The proposal has already been at the tribunal once, after staff recommended refusal of the previous rezoning.

They cited concerns about servicing and complete community design, which looks at areas like natural heritage, geology, hydrogeology and transportation to ensure safe and sustainable development, according to Brant planning documents.

The tribunal put a holding provision on it, with several issues for the applicant to address before bringing it back to council, DeLeye told council.

Phillips could not give confirmation when councillors asked if they would consider an extension. However, he said “We’ve heard the information and comments received” and will take them into consideration.

To avoid another appeal, council will need to make a decision when it comes back to them for recommendation on Sept. 10.

Celeste Percy-Beauregard’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows her to report on stories about Brant County. Reach her at cpercybeauregard@torstar.ca.

Celeste Percy-Beauregard, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator