CORRECTION: A previous version of this story said MHBC Planning bought the homes at 173 and 177 Dundas St. E. MHBC Planning is not the developer. It is a consulting firm assisting the developer, Hawk Ridge Homes.
It’s no secret that Waterdown is growing, and that growth means more housing.
But a handful of neighbours near a proposed development on Dundas Street say the lot behind their homes is not the right place for a new townhouse complex.
Hawk Ridge Homes bought the properties at 173 and 177 Dundas St. E. several years ago, where they are looking at putting in 18 units.
And while the local residents are aware that many new builds face opposition, they say this case is different.
The two large lots at 173 and 177 Dundas St. E are both on a hill, with a four-metre drop from the houses to the back fence. The homes on the other side of the fence drop down even further.
“I'm sure that there are going to be people who are making this decision who are going to the NIMBY response, you know. ‘Not in my backyard!’ and that's all they're concerned about,” said Curth Martell, who spoke to FlamboroughToday with wife Mary Ann.
The Martells live at the bottom of the hill, behind where the development will be. Curth said his yard already floods out when it rains.
“This is completely different. It's not flat land that you're talking about,” said Stephanie Card, whose backyard faces the side of the potential development.
The homes that will be removed for the development sit atop the hill. Many of the neighbours who oppose the complex live at the bottom of the hill and, like the Martells, already deal with flooding.
The developer's plans, which the neighbours have posted online, show plans to fill in the property and build a two-metre tall retaining wall, with another 1.8-metre fence on top of that
“You can imagine how tall this is going to be,” Card said, adding that neighbours have concerns about their privacy.
Mary Ann Martell has a large garden she worries will not get enough sunlight and will be flooded out if there are heavy rains like the ones we saw in early July.
It’s one of the issues Mary Ann said she has brought up to the city.
“I put that in my email. It is ridiculous,” she said.
Neighbours heading to city hall
Card says she was aware the two homes on Dundas Street East were sold in 2018, when the neighbourhood first heard of the planned townhouse complex.
But now the decision is finally going to a debate and vote at city hall on Aug. 13, when the planning committee is in session.
When it was first announced, then-Ward 15 Coun. Judi Patridge was against the development.
Current Ward 15 Coun. Ted McMeekin said he agrees with the neighbours that 173 and 177 Dundas St. E are not the right fit for a townhouse development.
“The concerns that have been shared are both extensive and legitimate,” he said.
“The appropriateness of the development on this site is seriously in question with major concerns related to traffic, parking, safety and, given the topography of the area, potential flooding.”
Development would add traffic to dangerous intersection
Adding 18 units to the neighbourhood means more traffic at an intersection that is already busy, noted neighbour Brain Peggie.
“It's a dangerous intersection now because people are running red lights there all the time,” he said.
Dundas Street East is a busy, main thoroughfare with a 60 km/h speed limit, which Peggie said people often exceed. It is also at the highest point in Waterdown, on a hill, which also increases the risk of accidents. The townhouse complex's driveways would enter and exit onto Dundas Street East, very close to the intersection and near the top of a blind hill.
“It's a big long run in each direction, so it's not like it's a stop and go traffic. By the time they get to that light, people are already speeding,” he said.
With Guy B. Brown Elementary is so close, Card said adding more traffic to the area could be a recipe for disaster.
“Everyone in the neighbourhood knows you have to count to at least four or five before you proceed to make sure everyone's actually stopping, because people run the red light all the time. Children crossing have almost been hit several times,” she said.
The neighbours plan to bring up these points at the city planning meeting on August 13, when the committee decides whether to approve the development and pass the final decision on to city council.
