Townhouse development moving forward despite resident concerns

Efforts by neighbours living on and around Sixth Concession — one of Windsor's major arterial roads — to stop a 24-unit townhouse development have failed.

On Monday, most Windsor city councillors voted against a motion to cancel the development at 3930 and 3950 Sixth Concession Road, allowing the 24-unit townhouse project to proceed.

The lots are at the corner of Sixth Concession Road and Ducharme Street. In the area, Concession Road 6 has soft shoulders, no barriers blocking the surrounding ditch, no sidewalks, and single-lane traffic in both directions.

Area resident Satvir Sandhu presented councillors with photos of heavy traffic along the arterial road.

"The extra strain on the roads will be too much," said Sandhu, noting that if three people moved into each unit, 72 more people would come to the area.

"Council turned their backs on us. There’s a house across from the proposed development with autistic kids — what’s going to happen to them?"

Sandhu said children struggling to cross the already-busy roadway is a common sight along Concession Road 6.

"We’re not against housing, but fix the infrastructure first before adding more strain," she said.

City councillors voted 8-3 against stopping the development. Voting against it were councillors Kieran McKenzie, Fred Francis and Gary Kaschak.

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said that while he sympathizes with residents' concerns, current zoning rules would allow the developer to submit an application to build 24 units on the lots, separate from the townhouse proposal.

"What he was proposing to do was up-zone this to go a story higher and provide more density," said Dilkens.

While the mayor acknowledged that Concession Road 6 needs to be widened, he said council has allocated $11.4 million in the budget to start fixing the roadway.

No timeline for when these fixes would begin was provided.

"Council has spent a lot of money already, starting with the North Talbot section of the environmental assessment. Over time, this will all be improved," said Dilkens.

Another key reason councillors voted to allow the townhouse project to proceed is that the city would likely lose an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal brought by the developer.

"What's changed is that residents no longer have a right of appeal," said Dilkens, referring to recent legislative changes made by the Ford government.

"Third-party residents no longer have that right. The appeal right rests mainly with the applicant, usually the developer."

Losing an appeal could cost the city around $20,000.

"All they've thought about is that they don't have to spend $20,000 on an appeal," said area resident Jagraj Sandhu, adding that he, his wife, and two young children have to walk in a straight line along the road, holding hands to avoid being hit by a car.

"If they widened the road, added turning lanes, closed off the ditch, and added sidewalks, it’d be different."