Ridgewood South plan unveiled
By: Matt Preprost
Posted: 05/9/2012
The Ridgewood South development will be built in phases and predominantly feature single family housing built around naturalized lakes and a network of trails.
Those were some of the near-finalized details of the Ridgewood South precinct plan unveiled to the public April 23 and 24 at Charleswood United Church.
"It’s a very difficult (process)," said Donovan Toews of Landmark Planning and Design, the consulting firm that has been co-ordinating the plan with residents, stakeholders and landowners for more than a year.
"The key is the opportunity to have good dialogue, not just one minute dialogue. Over time we’ve been able to make people appreciate the requirements we have to meet, and then we get an understanding of the things that are important to them."
Ridgewood South is an 800-acre parcel of largely vacant land — 600 acres of which are considered developable — in south Charleswood that could see up to 3,000 new homes built.
The plan includes policies outlining how land can be used, natural spaces to preserve, and the order in which development can occur.
The development, divided into 11 sub-areas, must be built in phases. For example, about half of the development cannot be built until the William Clement Parkway is extended, which the city approved for completion by 2016 last week. Another portion of land requires the installation of the Harstone drain, another multi-million dollar project, Toews said.
"The policy we’re going towards is saying they may not, shall not, be developed," Toews said.
About a dozen naturalized lakes are proposed for the plan to deal with land drainage, with a trail system snaking between them that will connect at multiple points with the Harte Trail.
About four new north-south wildlife corridors are outlined, Toews said.
"As opposed to a clump of green here and a clump of green there, it’s all interconnected. It’s going to be quite nice," he said. "You could walk for miles and miles on this trail system."
However, some residents expressed concerns the plans still fail to address greenspace and traffic concerns.
Al Roberts of Citizens for Charleswood Habitat Preservation, which supports the development, expressed concern about the lack of connectivity between transportation infrastructure and residential development, noting there appears to be no plan to widen Wilkes Avenue.
"We really think there needs to be some tie-in between the timing. We don’t see that tie-in existing as of yet," he said. "Both the city and developer have responsibilities. You can’t only have one side of the equation working and the other not."
The group still wants to see 25% greenspace — significantly more than the 10% required by the city and laid out in the plans. They are also concerned the proposed road system will bisect Buckingham Forest. That could have a drastic impact on the at-risk species in the area, he said.
"Ten per cent won’t allow the natural habitat to exist," Roberts said.
The group is happy the plan retains some portions of old oak forests in the area and proposes the widening of the Harte Trail, he said.
Resident Harold Strom was seen protesting the open house outside the event with a large sign encouraging residents to "Say No to Ridgewood."
Strom fears the destruction of the Harte Trail and that the development will irrevocably damage the allure of Charleswood.
"People want to move to Charleswood. Why? They love the rural atmosphere," he said.
"They’re getting rid of why people want to come to Charleswood."
The plan is expected to make its way to city council later this year.
For full information and to view the plans, visit www.ridgewoodplan.com.
Facebook.com/TheMetroWPG
Twitter: @metroWPG
matt.preprost@canstarnews.com
