Northwest Welland may be the next hot spot for residential growth in the Rose City if Niagara Region approves a long-eyed expansion of the urban boundary.
“This is the second or third attempt (to expand). We’ve been caught in a long, drawn-out process. I think we’re almost there,” said Grant Munday, the city’s manager of development approvals, adding the province has streamlined rules for expansion.
Munday said Welland applied for an official plan amendment with the Region and it was accepted as being complete in July.
“The Region will circulate it to various agencies for comment. I anticipate there will be a decision by regional council by the end of the year.”
The area includes lands north from Niagara College and north of Rice Road Community Church at 305 Rice Rd. to the border with Pelham and Thorold.
It also takes in lands west behind properties on Niagara Street, that are north of Quaker Road, to Clare Avenue.
All told, it’s about 80 hectares of land with 12 hectares of natural heritage and nearly 40 hectares available for development.
Munday said there’s land in the area not in the urban boundary that’s been developed over the years.
That includes the Nouvel Horizon French elementary school on Quaker Road and Niagara Catholic District School Board offices and Alexander Kuska Catholic Elementary School on Rice Road.
Munday said new residential development outside the urban area is generally prohibited in the Planning Act to protect rural areas and farmland.
“It’s to ensure there’s no haphazard development.”
In city’s northwest, Munday said, there are water and sewer lines the province helped pay for. With the existing infrastructure, costs to the taxpayer for expansion are much lower and any subdivisions built would see developers pay for internal servicing and roads.
Munday said expansion in the area makes sense with current and future residential development in both Thorold and Pelham pushing up against Welland’s border.
“It’s the hole in the doughnut,” he said, adding there’s new retail development just down the road in Pelham and Niagara College is nearby as well.
All required studies on the lands are done — Munday said it’s probably the most studied area in the city — and a draft secondary plan complete.
That plan gives guidance in terms of land use in the area, where low- and medium-density development would take place and the location of parks.
Munday said a virtual public information meeting on the urban boundary expansion will be held Thursday, Sept. 10, at 6 p.m. Anyone interested in taking part can contact him at city hall.
A statutory public hearing will take place during the city council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. Residents can watch that online through the city’s website.
“If everything is approved we could start accepting applications for development hopefully in the new year,” said Munday.
