Heather Wright/The Independent

Residents around two subdivisions proposed in Petrolia are raising concerns about traffic and historic oil operations.

Lambton County planners held a public meeting about the plans for a 146-home subdivision off Discovery Line and another 44-home cul-du-sac in Glenview Estates Monday.

Jake Tetreault, a planner for Dillon Engineering which represented both developers. MI 637 owns a total of 64 acres along Discovery Line but it plans to develop 34 acres bounded by the current development on Kells, Ernest and Applewood Drive.

Tetreault told a full house at Petrolia council chambers the developer plans a stormwater management pond and a small park close to Applewood and with development beginning on the southside of the property.

Tetreault says several abandoned oil wells have been found on the property and the company will not develop two parcels of land near Discovery right away. They’d been home to holding tanks in the past and another study is necessary.

Some land will also be left undeveloped because of oil production across the road. the Oil, Gas and Salt regulation says housing can’t be built with 75 meters of an existing well.

One of the biggest concerns was a plan to extend Stanley Street to Garfield Ave in the future.

Ashley Regimbal lives in the Everwood area. “We’ve got young families, and you provide them no parks, and then you provide them a street that’s got no stop signs all the way from Discovery, all the way to Garfield, and kids are supposed to go across the streets to go to the park? I think there’s a problem there,” she said at Monday’s meeting.

Neighbour Lacey Kelch agreed. She says residents of subdivisions on the west side of town will begin to use Stanley to get home if it connects to Garfield and that will be dangerous for kids.

“I think it’s irresponsible to connect Stanley to Garfield. You’re creating potentially a deathly situation for way too many families,” she said at Monday’s meeting.

Tammy Ferguson, who lives on Stanley Street, reminded the neighbours another 174 houses are planned on the otherside of Stanley which create more traffic issues.

“You’re not even mentioning that,” Ferguson said to the planners, “but you’re going to push Stanley Street through. My goodness, we need to think about this. We need to be more involved.”

Tetreault later presented the proposal for phases four and five of Glenview Estates, which is owned in part by Williams Landscaping owner John Paul Williams from Mooretown.

The 24-acre parcel of land, which has been under development since 2013, wraps around the back nine holes of Kingswell Glen. The proposal creates a large cul-du-sac with one exit on First Ave to the west of the development and an emergency access for fire trucks near a holding pond.

Hugh Deighton, who lives in the area, voiced concern the developer is proposing to make the pond, which holds stormwater, only half a meter deeper to accommodate this development. He adds developments in the south east quadrant which could build 800 more homes, will also drain into the pond.

“I’ve got videos of it, because at least twice a year, sometimes three times, right down in front of those houses on 17th (hole)…you got four feet of water running down there on a steady basis across that whole curve,” Deighton said.

Tetreault says the pond has been designed not only to hold the water from the 44 homes around the course but also the new development. He says two other ponds in the south east quadrant will hold stormwater and slowly release it, reducing the chance of flooding.

Tetreault expects the plan will make drainage in the area better than it is now.

There are also concerns about the access. Deighton questioned whether it was a normal practice to build a cul-du-sac with so many homes.

One couple, who recently purchased a home on First Ave, is concerned the lane beside their road which golf carts now use will become access to the subdivision.

And there are concerns about the emergency access planned on the west side of the subdivision.

Petrolia/North Enniskillen Fire Chief Rick Cousins asked about the stablity of the bridge there. “Has there been, or will there be, a study to determine whether or not it will take the weight of emergency vehicles?

Tetreault says engineering studies have shown the current bridge, now used by Golf North for its service vehicles and golf carts, will hold large fire trucks.

“Who would be responsible if it ever let go,” Cousins asked, noting fire trucks now cost upwards of $1 million. “If something happens is that the developer’s property or is that the town’s property?”

Tetreault says ultimately the town will have to be comfortable with the standard of the bridge and will be responsible for its repair over time. He told The Independent after the meeting the developer’s studies show the current structure with a new road base would hold emergency vehicles. Senior Lambton County Planner, Will Nywening, said another study would be needed to confirm that.

There is also concerns about traffic, particularly at the corner of Petrolia Line and First Ave. Nywening says a left-hand turn lane will be needed on Petrolia Line at the intersection. Another may be necessary on First Ave and that would be a problem. The historic fire station, which is now a home, is on one side of the road, and a commercial plaza is on the other.

Nywening says the Town of Petrolia is considering a large traffic study to look at how the seven planned developments in the community will affect traffic flow over all.

Neighbours also voiced concern after the planner suggested some heritage trees could be cut down and replaced with new trees to accommodate development.

Perhaps the most vocal opponent of the plans is Walter Brand. He owns an historic oil field around the property. The Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Act requires development to be 75 meters from active oil wells. While the developer has created a buffer zone, the map provided to residents shows a road right along the property line with Brand, inside the 75m zone. A small portion of one of the lots to developed is also in that zone.

“You’re breaking the law, you’ve got to change it,” Brand charged.

Nywening committed to looking at the material submitted by Brand outlining the rules surrounding oil wells and development. Brand added it didn’t make sense that a fence would be able to separate homes from an industrial development.

The comments from the public on both the Glenview Estates and the Discovery Line development will be reviewed by the Lambton County planning department.

It has the authority to approve the development without any input from Petrolia town council, but Nywening says the planners will return to town council with their recommendations and any conditions the developers must meet in the future. Nywening says it is important to have the local council on board with the development.

It’s not clear how long it might take to bring the plans to council. Tetreault suggested development could begin in a year if the subdivision is approved and there is a market for estate-like lots.