Residents in Allanburg are fed up with the speeding traffic in their neighbourhood, and they’re worried that increasing development is only exacerbating the issue.
As ThoroldToday reported, Lally Homes is looking to develop fifteen residential townhomes at 2248 Centre Street in Allanburg.
During a public meeting last Monday at City Hall, Cam Lang — who is a planner for Lally Homes — gave a presentation on the project.
The 15 townhomes would have two storeys each, with a finished basement and a single car driveway and garage. There would also be an extra ten parking spaces built on the plot of land for visitor parking.
“If fifteen people come to visit, what happens to the five people that have no allocated parking spaces,” Councillor Henry D’Angela asked Lang.
“They would have to leave or find parking along the road,” Lang answered. “People find parking wherever they can, generally speaking. We actually have oversupplied our visitor parking.”
When asked about the installation of sidewalks in and around the new development, Lang explained that those issues would be addressed during the site plan process.
Allanburg residents have previously flagged the lack of sidewalks in their neighbourhood.
With another 22-unit townhouse complex — called Allanburg Estates — being developed further down the street, residents are worried that the increased traffic will eventually have deadly consequences.
Lang explained that a traffic impact study was not required for the 15 townhomes, because the city is already working on a traffic safety study of their own.
“When you add cars to an existing problem it’s going to get worse,” said Councillor Ken Sentance. “I’m not sure where our traffic calming study is at but it would be great if you could work with the city and help us out."
The site of the proposed townhouse complex used to be the location of Dougherty’s Meat Packing Plant, which operated between 1977 and 2010.
During last Monday's meeting, Allanburg resident Diana Roberts — whose family used to own the plant — gave a presentation in which she spoke out against the development and highlighted the lack of city services in the neighbourhood.
“Last week there wasn’t enough water pressure to flush the toilets on Centre Street,” she told city council. “How does adding 15 more houses help that problem? The water and sewage department still haven't fixed the sinkhole on the boulevard — it caves in every few months. The rainwater and snow melt flooding Centre Street hasn’t been addressed. Trimming bushes and shrubs that block the view for traffic only happens when I phone the City.”
Roberts also said that the recently installed traffic signs in Allanburg haven’t done much to mitigate safety concerns.
“We got transport trucks coming down our road now,” added resident David Bent, when it was his turn to speak. “They’re not travelling slowly. The traffic is just horrendous. People are not walking like they used to. They're not taking their dogs for a walk. It is an invasion with 15 townhouses.”
Several residents said that they would support five single detached homes, but not a townhouse complex.
“I don’t think any one of us is crazy or delusional enough to think we’re going to stop development,” said resident Kyle Berketo. “The question is whether or not it’s smart development. We’re talking about an old country village that has been relegated by a century and a half of city councils. To jump from that to this rapid urbanization just doesn’t make sense.”
At the end of the meeting, Lally Homes owner, John Lally, took to the podium to try and assuage the neighbours’ worries.
“Would I be willing to work with the city regarding traffic and other concerns that these neighbours have — 100 per cent,” he said. “I’ve always listened to the public and made it work.”
