A public meeting was recently held to discuss a new residential development proposed for Derry Road and Fourth Line, with some concerns raised about potential traffic bottlenecks.
The 15.3-acres project -- at 9755 Derry Road -- features a mix of townhouses and two apartment buildings of up to eight storeys, along with green space and a village square park.
Planner Zechariah Bouchard, representing the applicant, detailed the project’s alignment with the Town’s intensification goals and the Bristol Survey Secondary Plan. “These lands have primary frontage on Derry Road, which is an intensification corridor that supports public transit, active transportation and higher density growth,” he said during his presentation to council.
The proposal includes 365 units, with 160 in the apartment buildings, and a total of 636 parking spaces — allocated as two spaces per townhouse, one space per apartment unit and a visitor parking rate of 0.2 spaces.
Bouchard noted that during an earlier virtual community meeting in October, residents raised questions about construction impacts, parking and traffic safety, impacts on the natural heritage system and the planning process. “We're looking forward to working further with the staff to develop a construction management plan and possibly a pest management plan… to deal with impacts of construction,” he said.
At the Dec. 9 meeting, a resident questioned the accuracy of a traffic study conducted for the application, citing concerns about vehicle congestion during peak morning hours with a school nearby. “It definitely sounds to me like the figures are not what exactly (I see) as a resident living there,” the resident remarked.
Responding to Coun. Colin Best’s request for clarification on the review process, Jill Hogan, the Town’s commissioner of development services, explained that no decisions would be made at the meeting.
Hogan added that staff will evaluate technical reports, incorporate public feedback and prepare a comprehensive report by mid-2025 or earlier.