With an ever-increasing demand for housing and not enough homes for sale in Southern Georgian Bay, developers and municipalities are pushing through thousands of new residential units. This year could be record-breaking, with some exciting projects in the works. But such monumental growth is not without challenges.
by Marc Huminilowycz
Following a couple of years where developers and municipalities were scrambling to keep up with a steady demand for housing, residential development activity in 2019 could once again be record-breaking, according to the latest numbers from the region’s town planners.
Collingwood reports 5,500 units currently in the planning queue, while Wasaga Beach has approximately 5,000 units in its current active and proposed development roster and The Blue Mountains reports 3,800 new residential units. Clearview has 1,700 units in application and about 4,000 registered or in the draft plan stage, while Meaford reports approximately 2,850 units in various stages.
According to Ken Hale, president of the Georgian Triangle Development Institute, the province’s Places to Grow Act (2005) predicted that our region (specifically Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, Town of The Blue Mountains and Clearview) would grow by more than 50 per cent over the next 10 to 15 years.
“The basis of this mandate is to ensure efficient delivery of services,” said Hale, noting that Southern Georgian Bay is one of the fastest-growing regions in Canada according to the 2016 census. “Based on this and the volume of new development projects in the works, it appears that the growth mandate is taking root. Our region will now be looking to the province to deliver the services promised for adhering to their mandate (hospitals, schools, transit, roads and infrastructure).”
Hale said there appears to be an increasing demand for a wider choice in the types of homes being offered in our region – specifically for apartments and condominiums. “New applications for subdivisions are including these offerings, and we are hearing from all age groups that these products are needed,” he said.
“I believe that there is a confluence of factors that are leading to this demand,” Hale added. “The first is affordability. There has been much discussion and action on attainable housing, sought after primarily by young professionals, service providers and families looking to establish themselves in our communities. This type of housing will help to meet this demand.”
Hale said the other source of demand for new homes comes from empty nesters looking to downsize but remain in their community. “These products provide everything they need, with reduced expenses and little or no maintenance,” he said. “They also offer more freedom to travel and live a more unencumbered lifestyle than a traditional detached home.”
Wasaga Beach
From east to west, the Town’s most recent tally of active and proposed developments shows 56 new residential projects of all sizes currently in the works, including a Simcoe County Affordable Housing site and residences in the Downtown Master Plan Development.
An Official Plan Amendment, adopted by Council in 2018, established a policy framework for the creation of a strategic growth area – the “downtown node” including Beach Areas One and Two. FRAM Building Group had been chosen by the previous council as the preferred developer of the lands owned by the town; however, the newly elected council allowed the letter of intent with FRAM to lapse and FRAM recently announced that the company would not be part of any redevelopment on the beachfront. “Council is now working through a process to review the development of the beachfront lands,” Mayor Nina Bifolchi said in a statement released in early March.
In terms of current projects on the books, there’s not much change from last year, said Wasaga Beach manager of planning and development Doug Herron. Most notable of the current projects is Sunnidale Trails, a massive development in the south end of town including Pacific Homes’ 566-unit project as well as a commercial element, a downtown core, a public school, a high school and possibly a town facility. Other current projects include the 940-unit Rivers Edge Phase 1; a new 177-lot project from Zancor Homes; West Wasaga, a 345-unit development in the town’s west end from Stirling Cook Development Properties; Baycliffe Homes’ Villas of Upper Wasaga; and the 1,148-unit Georgian Sands projects in the town’s east end from Elm Developments.
“Our west end has great real estate potential,” observed Herron. “It’s a gateway to Wasaga Beach. In addition to our Master Plan, accepted by council in 2017 and now in an appeal process, we have a new Parks Master Plan, which will include more parks and a linked trail system including the beach and the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, a new library and new arena. Having established links with Stayner and Collingwood, our transit ridership is high. We’re all working together for the regional good.”
Collingwood
Collingwood planner Mark Bryan says the town’s building permit applications were down in 2018 from the previous year. “But it’s a situation where a lot of projects were in the process. Looking at past numbers, we see a consistent average of 300 permits per year. I don’t know how global volatility and economic forces will affect our market, but 2019 could be a record-setting year.”
Bryan points to numerous residential projects and proposals currently in the works in Collingwood, including new towns at The Shipyards, Mountaincroft’s final phase, and Blue Fairways’ second and third phase townhomes and apartment units. Also proposed are 376 units (singles and towns) from Indigo; new Lockhart subdivision townhomes; Riverside mid-rise units; Bridgewater on Georgian Bay (655 apartments and townhomes); Panorama North, a 929-unit mix of singles, towns, and apartments; 185 units in six four-storey apartment buildings on the Georgian Bay Hotel site; and many more.
“We have a multitude of proposals right now,” says Bryan. “Factoring in infrastructure and clean-ups, draft-approved subdivisions could take years and years.” One notable project in the works is Summit View from Devonleigh Homes, a mix of 400 Craftsman-style single-family, semi-detached homes and townhomes on 40- to 50-foot lots ranging in price from $399,900 to $654,900.
“Collingwood is a town in Ontario where people want to be,” says Devonleigh Homes president Andrew Kidd. “Our demographic is move-up buyers, mostly from the GTA – people 40 to 65 years old who want to make our town their permanent home.” He notes that two parks are being pre-built in the community, with many lots backing onto open space facing west toward the Escarpment.
Clearview
According to Clearview Township’s director of community services Mara Burton, there are currently 14 active developments in the works, mostly in Stayner. These include 64 townhomes in Aspen Ridge; Riverview Phase 2 (36 single family homes); Ashton Meadows (224 singles); Simcoe Gardens from Manta Homes (18 townhomes); North Street Greens (semis and towns); several projects on Quebec St.; plus a Zancor Homes project. Also planned is Nottawasaga Station, a “continuum of care” seniors’ community including a four-storey long-term care/apartment building, a 140-unit retirement lodge, medical services, personal services, a restaurant, theatre and a beauty salon. In Creemore, Alliance Homes’ Hometown Creemore subdivision (singles, a four-plex and a six-plex unit) is beginning construction in the spring, and the Macintosh 72-unit Meadows of Creemore condo project is close to registration.
“We have something for all ages in Clearview,” says Burton. “Our people are primarily coming from Collingwood, Wasaga Beach and Barrie, but I see more coming from the GTA in the future. We’re close to Toronto, skiing, the beach and Barrie. It’s quiet here, with an excellent trail network and even our own hockey team, the Siskins.”
Stayner West, by developer Aspen Ridge Homes, features modern, urban-style townhomes located in the centre of town. These have been selling briskly since they were introduced in 2017, according to Stayner West sales representative Heather Wilson. Near the end of 2018, the developer released 27 new units, 26 of which are now sold.
“Our buyers are from across the board,” says Wilson. “At first, they were young millennials with families from within a 45-minute radius. In the past eight months, we’ve had professionals with families from the GTA looking for a vacation home, as well as some investors, although the majority of our buyers are end users.”
The Blue Mountains
The Town of The Blue Mountains broke all records for development activity in 2017, with 674 building permits issued (including renovation, demolition and new building) worth $185 million in construction value and creating 353 new residential units. Renovation and new construction activity continued to be brisk in 2018, with 589 permits creating 201 new dwellings (single and semi-detached), valued at approximately $161 million.
“The challenge for us is that a lot of people have a passion for our region and want to be here,” says The Blue Mountains director of planning and development services Nathan Westendorp. “Planning in this high-demand area is a balance of sustainability, stewardship and growth. Because today’s society is sophisticated, it’s not just where we put things, but how we do it. We are constantly weighing the demands of the process and working proactively by measuring expectations and making the development review process easier to meet needs now and into the future.”
Westendorp is encouraged by the diversity of housing in The Blue Mountains, saying it offers something for everyone. “We have over 3,800 residential units now in the planning process – approximately 38 per cent of them single family homes, 15 per cent semi-detached, 33 per cent towns, and 14 per cent apartments,” he said, adding that an increasing number of people becoming permanent residents (versus weekend/seasonal) is having a significant impact on the town’s infrastructure.
Numerous development projects are in the works, according to Westendorp, including Thornbury Towns, Thornbury Meadows, a new phase at Lora Bay and “lots of activity” in the Craigleith and Blue Mountain areas. Most notable of these is Aqua Village, a proposed 340-unit waterfront community project on 51 acres of prime land situated between Highway 26 and Georgian Bay in Craigleith Village. “This project has the potential to be a catalyst for the town, located in a designated settlement area,” he says. “If executed well, it will offer a diverse range of uses.”
Aqua Village has been presented to council by boutique developer Royalton Homes, which is currently completing semi-detached and townhomes in Balmoral Village in Collingwood. According to co-owner Samer Chaaya, Royalton is proposing a mix of housing types made up of semi-detached homes, townhomes, apartment-type units, live-work spaces and seniors’ apartments, as well as a commercial core including a community centre and a restaurant. “Aqua Village will be a resort community with something for everyone – vacationers and full-time residents, families, seniors and lower income residents,” he said.
Another development that has been in the works for a number of years is Craigleith Ridge from Parkbridge Lifestyle Communities, situated at the corner of Highway 26 and Grey Road 19. The community will feature many elements that aim to protect and maintain the natural environment and encourage respectful use of many greenspace amenities planned for the site.
“Some of the project features include 77 per cent green space, ponds and/or water features, three kilometres of trails and extensive protection measures for an archaeological site on the property,” says Parkbridge’s director of corporate communications Laurie Stephens. “We are continuing to work through municipal approvals for this future community of 211 units on 67.5 acres of land in Craigleith,”
Meanwhile, to address the issue of affordable housing, which some have called a “crisis” in The Blue Mountains, the town’s Attainable Housing Corporation recently issued a request for housing development consulting proposals in a bid to partner with the private sector to “lead and facilitate the continual building of new, permanent, attainable housing for low-income or moderate-income working households and families, with a focus on year-round low-income, entry-level ownership, seasonal rental housing to support the local workforce needs and housing for seniors.”
Meaford
“We continue to see a great demand for housing, with few properties for sale in Meaford,” says Rob Armstrong, acting CAO and director of development and environmental services. “We’re continually collaborating with individuals and developers to bring new residential projects on board. Meaford’s 40-unit golf course project is moving through approvals, and the three-acre former Stanley Knight Flooring site near Georgian Bay – a key element in the municipality’s Waterfront Strategy – is currently in the pre-consultation stage.”
He said the “huge success” of Reid’s Heritage Homes’ Gates of Kent community in Meaford could lead to other developments. “Reid’s took a first step in Meaford. Now that they have a level of comfort and confidence in our municipality, we’re working with them on other potential projects and sites.”
Meanwhile, what could be the largest residential development in Southern Georgian Bay is slowly taking shape on a vast 400-acre tract of land west of Christie Beach Road. The massive project envisions up to 1,500 units and many greenspace features, according to developer Parkbridge Lifestyle Communities. An environmental assessment is expected to begin soon.
In addition to residential developments, two projects are in the works to support the growing Meaford community: a new kindergarten to grade 12 “super school,” which could begin construction this spring, and a new library located in the former Foodland supermarket, scheduled to begin construction in the summer.
Owen Sound
To the west of Meaford, new development is progressing at a brisk pace in the City of Owen Sound, according to director of community Services Pamela Coulter. Most notable are Red Hawk Construction’s mixed-use 367-unit development near the Owen Sound Hospital and Bremont Homes, a 337-unit subdivision east of the hospital, which will also include commercial buildings and a potential 236-unit retirement or long-term care facility are progressing. The 36-unit Sydenham Condominiums on the river is nearing completion.
Applications have been submitted for the Andpet Residential subdivision, located in the Sydenham Heights Phase 1 Planning Area, which will include a mix of 169 new residences and a 120-unit retirement residence. Other proposals include the Robert Wylie 9th Avenue East mixed townhouse and apartment development; Sound Lifestyles, a life-lease community containing 19 townhouse buildings; Georgian Landing, a six-storey, 39-unit apartment building; and a conversion of Strathcona School into 68 new residential units.
“As you can see, we’re very busy with residential development in Owen Sound,” says Coulter.
As resale home inventory remains stagnant while the demand for housing throughout Southern Georgian Bay continues to rise, developers are planning and building new homes with confidence in the future of our region. With thousands of new units in various stages of the planning process in our municipalities, it looks like we are headed for major changes in our demographics and population in 2019 and beyond.
Massive growth brings massive challenges, however. It will be up to our municipal staff and elected officials to avoid urban sprawl through “smart” planning, build the necessary infrastructure to service the increased population, and provide affordable housing for the many service workers and professionals needed to keep our region thriving.
