A Lucan-based developer says he’ll listen to his Wyoming neighbours and create condos instead of apartment buildings in his new subdivision.
In 2008, Plympton-Wyoming approved a plan of subdivision on the east side of the community by developer Ken Dobbins. It called for 112 single-family homes from the railroad tracks on Main to Confederation Street.
The roads dead-end streets of Main, Thames, and Huron would all be opened to extend the roads and a new north-south road – Ketter Way – would be built.
The current developer Mike Radcliffe of Lucan has asked council to allow a zoning change near Erie Street east of the Royal Canadian Legion and Royal-Leigh Apartments. Radcliffe wants to build two multi-unit residential units.
Radcliffe told Plympton-Wyoming council and about 50 people gathered for a planning hearing Monday night he’d envisioned two, two storey apartment buildings – one with 10 units and the other with 12-units.
But that idea has drawn fire in the community with a petition being circulated opposed to multi-residential units. The concern is it will cause too much traffic in the area.
Planner Rob Nesbitt explained Erie Street would not become a through street since the land is privately owned by the Royal Canadian Legion and the Royal-Leigh Apartment complex. Instead it would be a dead-end street in both the current neighbourhood and the new development.
But even with the street closed, neighbours balked at the idea. “I don’t want to be looking at balconies with bikes or laundry,” said one resident of Royal Leigh Apartment.
Bob Crawford of Royal Leigh agreed saying any approval of an apartment building was an “abandonment of the residents of Royal Leigh.”
Councilors were also skeptical about rental apartments. “Personally, I’d be opposed to it (rentals) because we have a lot of rentals which go wanting at the end of the month,” says Deputy Mayor Don Nelson. “I believe we have enough rentals in town,” added Councilor Muriel Wright.
“This is the first I’ve heard you don’t want rentals,” says Radcliffe. “If you guys want owner occupied, that’s fine with me.”
Radcliffe, after hearing the objections, says if council will change the zoning to allow for multi-residential units, he will build one-storey five unit condos with attached garages geared to seniors in the area.
Council has asked the planner to re-write the conditions for the zoning to be approved at future meeting.
