Heather Wright/The Independent

Neighbours around the proposed Petrolia Sky Estates are still worried drainage problems in the area have not been solved and the subdivisions coming to the southeast part of the municipality will only make it worse.

The solution, Lambton officials say, will likely come through Drainage Act, meaning those homeowners with existing problems may foot some of the bill.

Monday, Lambton County planners held a public meeting for the 187-unit subdivision. BDM Developments Petrolia Inc. plans to build 104 single-family homes, 58 townhouse units and 25 “vacant land” condo units with a privately-held road system on 15 hectares of land around Third, Fourth and Kentail Streets.

There have been plans to build in the area since 2022, when Baker Build and Designplanned 66 townhouse units in the area.

That plan was turned down by Petrolia Council four months before the 2022 municipal election.

Since then, the province has dramatically changed how subdivisions are approved. Senior Planner Will Nywening says the province made the process more administrative than political and removed the right of private landowners to appeal decisions.

Monday’s public meeting is not required anymore but Nywening says planners find “neighbours often have important knowledge which they share.”

Allison Mevis lives in the area and says since she purchased her home in 2008, there has been drainage problems. She told the developer she has to replace her fence posts because they rot sitting in water all the time. 

Mevis says the zoning in the area was originally for single-family residential housing. With the smaller lot sizes and intensification of houses, she’s worried the rainfall won’t drain well. 

“What happens when you build and we have more water in our backyards?” she asked Jake Tetreault, from R. Dobbin Engineering representing the developers. “Then, we’re just screwed?”

Tetreault believes the new subdivisions will improve drainage for everyone in the area.

“When these developments go,” he said noting this is one of three major developments in the southeast quadrant, “they’ll have their own engineered storm water management ponds.” Tetreault added the new homes will have backyard drains to move the water away from the area. 

Nywening agreed saying the developers are working together to make sure the system is “designed to intercept” the water.

Exactly how that system will work isn’t fully known yet. Petrolia Sky Estate will have its own storm water management pond, Tetreault said, noting that as more housing comes on line, it will get larger.

The southeast development area drains into the Greenizen Drain with the runoff from drain flowing southwest and into an existing irrigation pond at Kingswell Glen Golf Course and eventually into Bear Creek.

Engineers have been working with developers to come up with a solution to all the water which will hit the small golf pond in the golf course since 2019. 

In an email, Nywening tells The Independent that plan is not yet complete. The three developers, he said, are looking making the stormwater system part of the local drains, so any improvements to the area will be under the Drainage Act.

 Nywening says while the development is driving the need for change, local homeowners with drainage issues – including the ones who spoke up at Monday’s meeting – may end up footing part of the bill.

“I expect that most, if not all, of the improvement costs will be shared by the three developments that would make use of this drain as their stormwater outlet,” Nywening writes. 

“It is possible a portion could be assigned to existing residential lots in proportion to their benefit. If so, I anticipate it would be a small portion of the costs and divided among many.”

Nywening told the dozen residents on hand Monday “if work is done that doesn’t function properly, there is an obligation of the developer to make it right.”