October 2020
Quarry concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Waste collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Township news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 13 Water levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Environmental impact of new development a concern in West Shore by Ellen Cohen For those not familiar with the area of Severn called West Shore, it is on the east side of Highway 11. It sits roughly north of Webers up to Goldstein Rd., including Bayou Park and Cumberland Beach. This area is serviced by sewer and water, includes a public school and the prerequisite Tim Hortons and, if the township is fortunate in securing a sizable grant applied for last fall, a recreation centre in the not too distant future. Because of the services, the directly off-highway location, and the desirable proximity to Lake Couchiching, there has already been considerable new residential development. Mayor Mike Burkett and councillor Ron Stevens have told The Villager in previous interviews that West Shore will likely increase by 1,000+ new homes in the not too distant future. With growth comes community concern. In the case of the most recent development proposal for what is being marketed as Turnbull Lakeside being built by Bosseini Development, environmental concerns are at the top of the resident’s list. To clearly lay out these concerns, a small group of residents took Mayor Burkett, Deputy Mayor Dunlop and Ward 4 Councillor Stevens for a walk along Turnbull Drive where the homes
Residents have concerns a new residential development will have a negative impact on the shoreline and a local marsh. are to be built, through the neighbourhood, past Cunningham Bay Marsh to which the 188 new home development is adjacent, along Grayshott Dr. and down to the lake, where the developer’s property ends. The residents were clear that they are not against development. They understand growth is inevitable given the fact the community is so well serviced and most of the open land in the Westshore community has long been owned by developers. But before the building begins, their goal is to ensure that the developer will protect the provincially significant wetland and the
shoreline, and have respect for the overall importance to the future stability of the ecosystem, including mitigating potential drainage issues. Area resident Diane Fotopoulos-Wright, who organized the walk through the community, has completed a presentation collectively with Joanne Morehouse and Tracy Bourassa, which clearly lays out the areas of concern – environmental and traffic being the top two - and asks Severn council for their help to “ensure that the community grows in a carefully thought out manner”. Continued on page 15
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Paul Cleary B.B.A.
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