FERGUS – A long-term plan that would guide the transformation of the south end of Fergus will be back before council and the public.
The Township of Centre Wellington has filed an official plan amendment for the South Fergus Secondary Plan which would put in place policies, identifies broad land uses, transportation plan, design principles and the overall vision for 375 acres of land that could eventually accommodate 7,000 people.
The area considered as part of this plan encompasses the south end of Fergus past the existing development bounded by Scotland Street to the east, Second Line to the south, Guelph Street to the west and the existing development to the north with Highway 6 running through the middle. This land is currently inside the urban boundary
A study document stated this development is envisioned to be a “complete community that is planned to accommodate a full range of uses” with both commercial and residential uses.
“The Tower Street/Highway 6 corridor is planned as a mixed-use corridor leading into the community of Fergus with a gateway at the Tower Street/Highway 6 and Second Line intersection,” a planning document stated.
“Opportunities for employment will include a mix of opportunities for office, commercial, retail, institutional and work from home to contribute to the local economy. A mixture of residential unit types and densities are planned for the community which will provide housing choice for existing and future residents. The community will provide for protection of natural features and an integrated transportation network which incorporates opportunities for active transportation.”
Ultimately the study area could contain nearly 3,100 units, a mix of low-density residential, medium-density residential and commercial-residential apartments, generating more than 130 jobs.
This proposed plan is fairly broad, township planner Mariana Iglesias explained in a phone call, and the given numbers are more to provide an idea of how to service accordingly.
“What has to happen later is subdivision plans would come in on top that would fine tune everything,” Iglesias said. “Like where the roads are and what the specific lotting pattern would be and the specific zoning and land uses would come in later.”
The plan lays out guidelines for things such as what commercial uses go where, building height and minimum density.
It does not provide any permission to build, Iglesias stressed, and is just the next step in the process to build out this end of Fergus and is being done in conjunction with the South Fergus Master Environmental and Servicing Plan.
The township had previously gone through a similar process with the Northwest Fergus Secondary Plan, now the site of the growing Storybrook subdivision.
Commercial and mixed uses were proposed as part of that plan but Iglesias said the market ended up not favouring that.
This plan, however, Iglesias said is much more conducive to commercial uses because Highway 6 runs through the middle of it.
A public meeting about the South Fergus Secondary Plan will be held on July 26 in the council chamber at 1 MacDonald Square in Elora at 6 p.m.
A full list of documents and studies about the secondary plan can be found on the township’s current development applications page.