As Cabana Road West residents oppose multi-use developments, Ontario premier says NIMBY mindset 'doesn't cut it anymore'

A home is being torn down on this Cabana Road West lot. Developers are proposing a multi-use development here, including with two others within a one-kilometre stretch of another — something residents along Cabana Road West strongly oppose. (Sanjay Maru/CTV News Windsor)

In response to housing developments sparking concern among residents about their neighbourhoods, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said it’s time for people to be "flexible" and understand that the “not in my backyard” (NIMBY) mindset is no longer acceptable.

Ford made the comment Monday during a visit to Windsor, as residents along Cabana Road West push back against three proposed multi-use developments along a one-kilometre stretch between Casgrain Drive and Dougall Avenue.

"People need homes. They need the hope of owning a home one time. This is no different than anywhere in the province," said Ford.

According to documents submitted to Windsor city council, each proposed development would add apartment-style units, commercial spaces, and parking lots to the major arterial road.

"I'm not saying that I'm not for intensification. I am. We need it, but it has to be done in a sustainable manner in areas that don't force us to destroy 50-year-old trees and neighbourhoods," said real estate developer Dan Coccimiglio, who lives near Cabana Road West.

Coccimiglio is concerned about the impact the developments would have on the existing urban tree canopy in the area.

He noted the city plants more than 2,000 trees per year to increase overall urban tree canopy coverage and suggested development should focus on areas that don’t require the removal of naturalized spaces.

When asked about residents who are opposed to multi-use developments which risk changing the character of their neighbourhoods, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, seen here on Sept. 16, 2024, says the NIMBY mindset ‘doesn’t cut it anymore.’ (Sanjay Maru/CTV News Windsor)

"Why are we going backwards in this ward by clear-cutting when we have a lot of farmland? We all know [Windsor] is a peninsula of farmland," said Coccimiglio. "Why are we not developing in other wards to factor in the environment?"

According to Ford, residents staunchly opposed to multi-use developments that risk changing the character of their neighbourhood carry a NIMBY mindset that "doesn’t cut it anymore."

"At one time, the people in that community walked into a new home just like anyone else. So they have to be flexible," Ford added.

Meanwhile, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens has said it’s difficult for council to turn down housing development proposals once they reach the council table due to recent changes in provincial legislation.

The changes require municipalities to provide specific reasons, "rooted in planning principles," for rejecting such proposals.

But that's not to say there are no opportunities for residents to share their opinions earlier in the process.

"We have set up a process where the developer must engage with the public, hear the feedback, and try to consider what the residents are saying before they actually submit that application for a development in the City of Windsor," said Dilkens.

As for Coccimiglio, who spoke with CTV News in front of a lot where a home was being torn down to accommodate one of the proposed multi-use developments, he said the developer is using "the oldest trick in the book."

"Because you want to make it seem like it's already too late for the city," said Coccimiglio.

The south Windsor resident added he has confidence in the city's process, which allows residents to express their concerns.

"None of the neighbours here have been notified with respect to these projects. That is going forward now and is part of the new Official Plan guidelines: to get the neighbourhood feedback a lot earlier in the process when the developers are in the planning stage," he said. "I commend that. It is important to have the conversations now and to invoke change now while we still have that time, especially here on Cabana Road West."

In Windsor, more building permits are leading to active construction projects.

As of mid-August, the city said it had reached 85 per cent of its housing start targets for 2024 — a step toward the 10-year goal of building 13,000 new units by 2031.