MORRISTON — Residents will have a chance to share their thoughts on a small subdivision proposed in Morriston later this week.
To be discussed at a public meeting in Puslinch on Wednesday, WDD Main Street Inc. has applied for rezoning and a plan of subdivision for a vacant property at 11 Main St. to facilitate 21 single-detached units of approximately 0.2 hectares on 23.104 hectares in Morriston.
A planning recommendation report will return to Puslinch council at a future meeting.
According to a staff report, each unit would be market-based with approximately three bedrooms, two parking spaces, individual garages and an approximate frontage of 12 metres at the end of Main Street and 20 metres at the current end of Ochs Street.
While additional residential units were originally proposed as part of the original application, the request has since been removed. The proposed development would also require the expansion of Ochs Street and a new public one-way road.
Two letters related to the application have been submitted to the township so far, sharing several concerns about the proposed development including its impact on traffic in and around Badenoch Street and Back Street.
In her letter, Carly Seeley shared several traffic concerns, saying Back Street is "not suitable for two-way traffic" and making it an access point will "cause traffic conflicts" given the area's "blind hill."
She also requested an environmental impact study incorporating impacts to the Jefferson Salamander, a height restriction to preserve the horizon for existing homes, zoning restrictions for lighting and no commercial vehicle parking be permitted on roads or front yards.
The development is currently proposing an access point from the right of way at the southeast corner of Back Street with the subdivision's main routing coming from the corner of Back Street and Badenoch Street.
"We have lived at this corner for over 20 years and have seen accidents, close calls, and numerous unsuccessful attempts to slow the traffic down. Adding more traffic to the corner will not help anything," said Mike and Lucy deJonge, Hans Juergensen and Cathy McNabb in their letter.
In an earlier planning justification report, staff said the proposed development is intended to increase the area's housing supply using "compact intensified development" that is area "appropriate" and respects Morriston's "servicing limitations."
A traffic impact study said the development's overall traffic impact would be "negligible" to the intersections and traffic flow along Highway 6 and Badenoch Street.
An environmental impact study said three endangered species: the butternut tree, the little brown bat and the tri-coloured bat and one threatened species: the Eastern Meadowlark, were observed on-site and the proposed development will have "no impact on significant habitat" of the observed species.
A 10-metre buffer is recommended to avoid impacts on the "significant woodlands" on-site while a 15-metre buffer is recommended on the west side to maintain the ecological functions of a nearby wetland.
The public meeting will be held in person at the Puslinch municipal office and online on March 5 at 7 p.m. The full report is available here.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
