There has been some fall-out from last week’s statutory public meeting concerning the proposed new retirement home in Tyandaga. Trust between residents protesting the development and their ward councillor may have eroded.
An InsideHalton press report, which now appears to have been taken down, suggested that Councillor Kelvin Galbraith was not fully supportive of nearby residents’ opposition to the retirement home. That then caused Tyandaga Community Coalition leader Doug Stewart to question whether Galbraith in fact supported the redevelopment plan.
“Why do I and most residents continually get the feeling that you are on the side of the developer? Why do we feel that you are working in Fieldgate’s [the developer’s] interests and not ours?” commented Stewart during an email exchange.
Galbraith responded that he continues to have an open mind about the current proposal but that neighbours need to accept that something will eventually be built on the site, replacing the current retail plaza. He referenced the fact that the city’s new Official Plan would raise the height limit on the property from three to four storeys.
“I have spoken with Doug to clarify some of the inaccuracies in the article. The headline and some of the quotes appear that I am conveying that this development is inevitable. What I did say was that development on this site is inevitable, whether it be the retirement home or something else.”
Galbraith’s response appears to have satisfied Stewart, at least for now.
“I have spoken with Councillor Galbraith this afternoon and he has assured me that he has heard our message and understands our position. He was misrepresented in the article and his opinions were misquoted…he has assured me that he will continue to work for us to get a fair result,” according to a Facebook post.
Last week’s statutory public meeting confirmed that almost all the nearby residents remain opposed to the proposed four-storey retirement home at the corner of Kerns Road and Four Seasons Drive. They have many concerns, including the height of the building, potential traffic problems, privacy issues and more.
The developer,FGL Kerns Inc., has applied to the city for a zoning change to permit construction of the retirement home on property currently occupied by a small retail plaza. The building would include 123 residential units and 66 parking spaces, most of which would be underground.
The developer’s application is now in the hands of city planning staff, who will return to council with a recommendation — however, that could take months.
