500 pack Glenway meeting

Newmarket

February 03, 2010 08:13 AM

By Teresa Latchford

The new owners of the Glenway Golf and Country Club property will have many hurdles to overcome to build on the lands, according to Ward 7 Councillor Chris Emanuel.

ABout 400 residents packed into the Newmarket Theatre with another 100 overflowing into the Newmarket High School cafeteria, which was equipped with a live stream at the second Glenway community meeting. The property has been sold to The Kerbel Group Inc. and Lakeview Homes and many residents fear residential development could mean the loss of greenspace and declining property values.

"Any application brought forward would be judged against our official plan," he said at the podium last night. "This will not be a short or easy process."

The town's official plan, approved in 2006, acts as a road map of how the town should be developed and where growth should be located, he explained. Even though the provincial Places to Grow act designates Newmarket as a growth node, with the population expected to reach 98,000 by 2025, the town has directed growth to the Yonge and Davis corridors. The Glenway lands are designated parks and open space under the current official plan.

"To achieve our growth target designated by the province, we don't have to develop these lands," Mr. Emanuel said. "I will be your champion going forward to ensure our greenspace is protected."

Based on the official plan, the proximity to the Oak Ridges Moriane, protected heritage woodlots located on the property, water and sewer service challenges and the storm water management ponds on the land, Mr. Emanuel ensured residents development would be a tough sell to town council.

The new owners have committed to keep the golf course open for the next two years, Kerbel Group Inc.'s Joanne Barnett said. The company hasn't yet explored options for development as it is focused on improving the business, which is currently losing money.

"We have committed to being open through this process, not only to the town, but to the residents," she said. "We aren't looking to submit an application and run."

In the next two months, the company seeks to iron out business decisions before investigating any development options for the "complex piece of land", she said.