Mayor decries Durham Street misinformation

Cobourg Boardwalk under construction. Photo by Dan Jones, Northumberland 89.7 FM, LJI

By Cecilia Nasmith, Northumberland 89.7 FM News

Cobourg

Without specifying details, Mayor Lucas Cleveland decried the misinformation he said is circulating about the development of 117 Durham St.

Misinformation circulating about development at 117 Durham St. was decried at Wednesday's meeting of Cobourg council's Public Works, Planning and Development Standing Committee meeting.

Without getting into the nature of the misinformation, committee member Lucas Cleveland acknowledged people's concerns, saying they will be addressed through a provincially mandated process.

“This is not a Cobourg process,” Cleveland stressed.

The individuals who will address those concerns, he added, will not be councillors but “individuals with planning degrees and certificates.”

He asked committee chair Brian Darling, who had been on the previous term of council when the land was purchased, for the reasoning behind the purchase of the lakefront land that had served nearby CDCI West as its athletic field until that school closed in 2015.

Darling said the west-beach boardwalk had been a key consideration for the $2-million purchase.

“We didn't own that land,” he said.

There was the potential for a developer to purchase the land and set up a small hotel or large houses, whose owners would fence off the beach.

“We took the chance and bought the property, knowing we could sever it and have the boardwalk in perpetuity and later sell off the north half to recoup some or all of that $2-million.”

Cleveland referred to the neighbouring property, Legion Village, where the next few years will see construction doubling its size to 400 units – with millions of dollars worth of infrastructure required. As opposed to the town potentially having to cover some portion of that, he had hoped the developer of whatever happens at 117 Durham could help with those costs,

A staff report presented at a Dec. 18 planning meeting said the parcel is five acres and is designated Major Institutional and Environmental Constraint Area. It said that about 3.4 acres of this land is developable and could accommodate medium-density residential development (such as townhouses or low-rise apartments).

A public meeting was held Feb. 25, after which a local group began organizing against overdevelopment of these lands. Group member Katharine Spavins listed objections in three areas.

Safety – The property is located at the end of a dead-end street, making high-density development a safety concern because of compromised access for emergency vehicles.

Local traffic – Legion Village's expansion plans include two new driveways off Durham Street to help service that increase. Any multiple dwelling units (such as apartment houses) will require above-ground parking, since the very high water table will not permit below-grade parking structures.

Site elevation and soil conditions – The site elevation is below town sewer and stormwater-drain systems. Its elevation cannot be raised due to pre-existing housing elevations and grading on both Durham and Bagot streets. There is a risk of sewer backup and overland flooding to neighbouring houses. Adaptations will be costly, she argued – and, has has been shown elsewhere in Cobourg, the developer does not always pay for such infrastructure.

While no member of this group spoke at this week's meeting, members do intend to be present at the regular meeting of council on April 30.

The report at Wednesday's meeting from Director of Planning and Development Cristal Laanstra said that “any development on 117 Durham Street will be subject to further review and all applicable municipal policies will apply. Any existing parks and waterfront planning documents will be available to ensure direction outlined is adhered to.”