FERGUS – A major development proposal could bring hundreds of new homes and a new Catholic secondary school to the north end of Fergus.
An application has been filed with the Township of Centre Wellington for properties at 6582 and 6585 Highway 6 to bring the 72.4-acre property into the urban boundary, paving the way for future development.
The proposal would expand the Fergus urban boundary and create a new community with approximately 701 homes, including single-detached houses, townhouses and apartments. In the planning justification report, the developer says, “It is anticipated that a substantive portion of the residential units will be in the form of affordable housing.”
The development would also include a public park, trails, stormwater management facilities and a mixed-use commercial area along Highway 6.
One of the biggest components of the proposal is a site reserved for a new secondary school.
“Through collaborative discussions and agreements with the Wellington Catholic District School Board (‘WCDSB’), the Owner has reserved a portion of the Subject Lands to accommodate a new secondary school on a 4.96-hectare block at the northeast portion of the Subject Lands,” the report said.
The report describes the school as “an important element” of the proposed community, and says it would help address the long-term educational needs of Fergus and the surrounding area.
The report also says the WCDSB has entered into an agreement with the landowner to develop the school and childcare site “in order to meet current and future needs.”
The planning report says the school itself would be advanced separately by the WCDSB through future applications.
The proposal would require amendments to both the County of Wellington and Centre Wellington Official Plans to bring the lands into the Fergus settlement area. Zoning and subdivision applications are expected to follow.
“Centre Wellington has a shortfall of between 171 and 191 hectares of greenfield land required to accommodate growth to the 2051 planning horizon. Therefore, there is a need to add additional greenfield land to settlement areas in order to ensure there is sufficient land available to accommodate projected growth, which the Applications propose to do,” the planning justification report said.
The site also contains about 3 hectares of provincially significant wetland and significant woodland, which the proposal says would be protected as part of the development.
The Township has confirmed the Official Plan Amendment application has been received and is now part of its current planning applications.
Nothing has been approved yet, and the proposal will go through the Township and County planning process, including public consultation.
You can find the full application here.
