Heather Wright/The Independent

The owners of three major business in Wyoming are questioning why a housing development is going to be constructed in a light industrial area.

Monday, Plympton-Wyoming heard an application from Norstead Properties and its principal, Roger Buurma, to build 19 seniors condominium units in a 2.4 acre field next to the new Home Hardware store and across the road from Ron Clark Motors and Huron Web Printing and graphics.

The plan calls for an addition four units behind the hardware store in the future.

The business owners came to the public meeting surprised the town would allow housing so close to noisy, light industrial uses.

Huron Web owner Chris Cooke says his presses run 24-hours-a-day and an industrial generator is extremely noisy.

“It’s inconceivable to me that we can make light industrial coincide with residential, especially seniors’ (housing),” he told council adding it will be “injurious to my business.”

Todd Clark of Ron Clark Motors agreed.

“Almost all of Wyoming is residential, except for the area we’re in. We’re we’re kind of hub of the businesses in Wyoming.

“We got PA speakers going. We got you know like is here air tools wrapping. Chris is right with his generators running; when there’s a storm or something, like our building can be buttoned up tight in the middle of winter – you can hear it plain as day. We’re not going to complain about it, obviously, we understand it. That’s part of the business.

“But I’m not sure people living across the streets can appreciate it,” said Clark.

Ben McNally of Advantage Farm equipment also expressed concern saying in the spring summer and fall, the business can be busy until 11 o’clock at night to make sure farmers have their equipment for the next day.

“What does happen if there is a lot of complaints three years from now?” McNally asked. “Are the businesses run out of town and we go somewhere else. It’s something that should be considered. We’ve been here a longtime.”

There were several other concerns about the development. The 19-units would use the laneway for Home Hardware to enter their community.
Lambton County won’t allow another exit onto a county road.

And Councillor Mike Vasey worried the seniors wouldn’t be connected to the rest of the town since the sidewalk is on the south side of the road and stops before it reaches Ron Clark Motors.

CAO Adam Sobanski says he’s been working with Buurma on the issue.

“They have committed to work with the town to extend the sidewalk along the eastern side of the property in conjunction with Ron Clark’s to ensure that there’s potential or pedestrian connectivity across the road from the property,” but Sobanski admits that’s only part of the problem.

“They would still have to cross Highway 21, which is problematic. However, the closest sidewalk on the west side of the road is significantly further north and would be more challenging to bring down.”

Councillor Alex Boughen says the concerns are the same as those he brought up in June 2023 when the town was reviewing its official plan. It was at that time the town agreed the land could be zoned for residential use in the future.

“I didn’t want to lose commercial land that we’re always trying to find, and then switching it to residential as we’re still trying to find more commercial,” he said noting 19 units will be a lot of homes who will complain about the noise from traffic and the local industries.

The planner noted there have been no complaints about noise from the light industrial area.

“You haven’t had any complaints yet because you haven’t built the houses,” said Cooke. “You will have complaints once you build it. What you want to do? What’s going to happen is you’re going to drive us out of business.”

Buurma told councillors he’s been planning the project for four years and plans to spend about $8 million to build it. He says the land has been vacant for years and he thought the housing plan would be a “slam dunk.”

Councillors deferred the decision on the site plan until a noise study could be done in the area.

Buurma says he’s willing to do that adding “this is like a painful process that can’t go on forever on my side either.

“I’ve spent three years spending money on planners and engineers designing and working with council to go spend $8 million on a on a project that can’t be delayed forever.”