Council cedes Belterra/Treetops approval to Town staff

Posted January 15, 2013

New Tecumseth council fast-tracked its own removal from the approvals process of the Belterra Estates (Treetops Development) last night, delegating authority to its staff to sign-off on Phase 1 of the draft plan of subdivision "in order to expedite the registration process and to avoid unnecessary delays."

Usually, council approval is required prior to final registration of the subdivision.

"While this process has not been the past practice of Council, staff are of the opinion
that delegation of approval to staff is appropriate given the above mentioned reasons," according to the report, which was then ratified during a special meeting of council that followed the committee meeting.

Phase 1 includes 320 single detached lots, 14 semi-detacheds, one convenience commercial block, one neighbourhood park block, an internal road network, and related land/blocks for municipal infrastructure, reserves and easements.

Belterra, which is now marketed as Treetops, is being developed by Brookfield Homes and the Sorbara Group's Orchard Ridge Homes. And unlike the adult lifestyles communities of Green Briar and Briar Hill which are on private services, Treetops will be connected to municipal water and wastewater infrastructure.

Belterra, a Cable Bridge Enterprises project, is the single largest residential development in New Tecumseth. It will cover 151 hectares (373 acres) is size, located on the south side of Highway 89, east of 10th Sideroad, and north of the 14th Line. It includes:

1,238 lots for single detached dwellings;
154 lots for semi-detached dwellings (308 units);
52 blocks for townhouses (322 units);
3 commercial blocks (1 general commercial, 1 highway commercial and 1 convenience commercial);
1 school block for the Simcoe County Catholic School Board;
1 natural preservation block of 16.94 ha (42 acres);
2 blocks for parkland (1 neighbourhood and 1 community);
entry feature blocks at community entrances;
walkway blocks connecting the community; and
infrastructure related blocks (including: landscape buffer from highway, 0.3 metre reserves, 10 utility/amenity blocks and road widening, future roads and future development where property boundaries cross existing property lines).

What's currently holding up approval are the "clearance letters" from the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, the Catholic school board, and the Town's engineering and and planning departments.

"Prior to the registration of Phase 1 of the draft plan of subdivision, all clearance letters must be received from agencies having conditions of draft plan approval. While three agencies listed above have not provided their clearance letters as of the writing of this report, it understood that they will be provided in the near future. Further, it is recommended that Council delegate to Staff the authority to sign the final M-plans relating to Phase 1 for the Registry Office, pursuant to the Planning Act, once all clearance letters are received."

It's not clear at this point whether this delegation of authority will be the new standard practice in New Tecumseth.

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