The Town of Collingwood will be opposing a request to offer an extension to nearly 20-year-old subdivision project that's still in the draft plan stage.
According to the town, the Bridgewater developers have applied to the Ontario Land Tribunal for another extension on their draft plan of subdivision approval.
"The plan has expired and been renewed seven times over the last 20 years or so," said Collingwood Mayor Yvonne Hamlin during a council meeting this week.
Seven times appears to be the limit for the Town of Collingwood on this development.
Following a closed session, council returned to an open meeting where the mayor explained the town's solicitor and senior staff advised council oppose the request for extension.
Consulate Developments is the developer behind Bridgewater on Georgian Bay development (previously named The Preserve at Georgian Bay).
The development has been on the town’s books since at least 2007, originally receiving draft approval for 320 dwelling units on the 11664 Hwy. 26 property.
Consulate Developments revised the proposal in 2018 and applied for a zoning bylaw amendment to instead allow a mix of 655 apartment, single detached dwellings, semi-detached dwellings, and back-to-back townhouse dwelling units.
The application for the increased density went to the Ontario Land Tribunal, which granted the increase, with the draft site plan approval set to expire June 29, 2024.
The property is on Collingwood's west end, on the north side of Highway 26 across from Georgian Bay Hotel and near Princeton Shores Boulevard. The "development parcel" is surrounded by wetlands and treed areas.
The development has been before the Ontario Land Tribunal several times in the past, including in 2023 when the tribunal ruled Collingwood couldn't arbitrarily require affordable housing be included in the development plan.
In fact, the original draft approval for the project was granted by the Ontario Municipal Board (which later became the Ontario Land Tribunal) in 2007.
There have been several extensions granted by the town and Ontario Land Tribunal on the draft plan approval, which is set to expire on June 29, 2024. Without another extension, the town's approval of the draft plan for the development lapses. Any development on the site would have to start over in the application process.
