Tale of thumbs-up, thumbs-down for 2 Kleinburg developments in Vaughan
'The traffic is going to be horrendous ... this is just the last straw for us': resident

Yorkregion.com
Tim Kelly
Nov. 13, 2017

It was a tale of two Kleinburg developments last week at Vaughan's committee of the whole with one well-received, the other not so much.

No decision was made on either development. One developer is behind both developments, large by Kleinburg standards, with 251 single-family homes proposed for the first development, located on the east side of Huntington Road and south of Nashville Road. The other development involves a mix of detached homes and townhouses, 69 units, and is located just south of Nashville Road and east of the CPR rail line. It's known as 737 and 739 Nashville Rd. and it's this second development that generated plenty of public opposition last Tuesday evening.

In fact, the 251-unit development was actually praised by Marilyn Iafrate.

"I do want to say I support this. I do say yes, sometimes," Iafrate said.

When it came time for public comments on the 68-unit development, Whisper Lane resident Denise Savoiardo had concerns.

"Along with safety concerns, we are flabbergasted. Whisper Lane is made up of eight homes, each with a half-acre on each of them. The townhomes proposed are not close to the style and scheme of the homes on Whisper Lane," Savoiardo said.

She added she was worried the removal of the cul-de-sac on Whisper Lane would create a thruway on a "quiet, child-friendly street," and that there's a concern for the speed of traffic.

Another resident said, "the traffic is going to be horrendous ... this is just the last straw for all of us."

And Richard Lorello, who lives nearby said, he believed the development, "is unfair. I'd like to see the developer bring some consistency and fairness to these residents."

Iafrate agreed with those residents who complained about the development.

"I'm concerned about the lot sizes," the councillor said.

"They are not in keeping with what they abut. The townhouses don't belong here, they just don't fit here, they're not in keeping with the existing residential development, there is no transit, no intensification along Nashville Road," she said, adding, "the townhouses have to go."

Iafrate made a motion which was approved that the developer meet with members of the community and the Kleinburg Area Ratepayers Association along with regional councillors to discuss ways to alter and improve the development.