Centre Wellington now allows six storey buildings in south Fergus
FERGUS – A long-term plan guiding development in the south end of Fergus has been approved despite some lasting concerns from councillors.
Council has approved implementing the Fergus Secondary Plan, a plan designed to create and implement policies, identify board land uses, transportation plans, design principles and the overall vision for 375 acres of land in the south end of Fergus.
Encompassing the south end of Fergus past the existing development with Scotland Street to the east, Second Line to the south, Guelph Street to the west and the existing development to the north with Highway 6 running through the middle, council previously deferred approving the plan because it felt more time was needed to discuss with staff and ensure they got things right.
Since the deferral, key changes to the plan include reducing the maximum height in a mixed-use corridor designation from eight to six storeys and increasing the maximum height of low-density designations from three to four storeys to reach overall site density targets of 60 people and jobs per hectare.
Encouraging a stepback or variation in building materials for buildings with frontage facing Tower Street, Highway 6 and/or Second Line was also included to address concerns about creating a "tunnel effect" along the mixed-use corridor.
Concerns remained for some, including delegate and Greenlanes cycling advocacy group member John Scott, about how staff will design a safe passageway for people to cross and travel along Highway 6.
Calling Highway 6 "a moving fence," Scott suggested staff construct something like a tunnel for pedestrians to "make a break" in the highway traffic and facilitate safer crossing.
Agreeing with Scott, Coun. Jennifer Adams requested staff amend the report to identify the area to be studied and report back on some proposed solutions.
The township's managing director of infrastructure services, Colin Baker said the most appropriate way to address these concerns is through the active transportation and mobility master plan and thinks Queen Street would be an ideal place to build a "safe, robust crossing."
Baker also said the protected intersections proposed by Scott are something the township can look at through the master plan process.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
Isabel Buckmaster, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, GuelphToday.com
