The Lake Couchiching Residence project proposed by Bosseini Developments sparked a lot of questions from the residents of the Westshore community. Residents had known that the area was slated for development, but many had a lot of concerns.
Orillia Matters reported that the residents' concerns were presented to the Severn Township Mayor on September 11.
The project will include the following:
- 110 detached houses
- 30 semi-detached houses
- 48 townhouses
- One management and security unit
- On 92 acres of lakefront land
- Dock featuring boat and jet-ski rentals
- Clubhouse
- Indoor pool
- Theatre
- Library
- Gathering facilities
The Orsi Group, an Orillia company, filed an application to develop the land in 2004 and a draft of the plan was approved by Simcoe County council with conditions in 2012. Those conditions included the following:
- Environmental protection
- A call for detailed engineering design
- Infrastructure capacity
- Added planning of parkland and trails
Orsi sold the land in 2019 to Bosseini Developments according to consulting planner Eldon Theodore.
Cunningham Bay Marsh has been evaluated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and designated a provincially significant wetland. The MNRF established the homes in this development must be 15 metres from the boundary of the protected wetland.
The marsh composes almost half of the 92 acres of land that Bosseini owns. The buildable area is about 42 per cent of the acreage. The area as it stands is treed, bushy, mostly flat and home to a variety of wildlife.
The buildable area is low and will need to be raised using massive amounts of fill. Residents are concerned that the raising of land will affect adjacent properties, the wetlands and the lake.
The community has also worked hard in recent years to protect the local turtle population which includes some endangered and at-risk species.
The clubhouse and boat dock mentioned above will be built on a separate plot of land on Grayshott Drive.
The approved subdivision plan does not include the Grayshott Drive property, which means that a separate proposal would have to be submitted and approved before the clubhouse could be built.
"Wetlands are critical green infrastructure that provide flood control, water purification and wildlife habitats. Despite this, developers often don't give wetlands the credit they are due. Any time a wetland is developed it's of concern because so little wetland is actually left in southern Ontario. More than 80 per cent of wetlands that once existed in southern Ontario have disappeared due to development."
Couchiching Conservancy | Mark Bisset
Bosseini Developments officials said that they have been working with planners, engineers, environmentalists and local government to ensure protection of the marsh.
Severn Township officials said that the developer is working to meet the conditions set out in the approved 2012 plan.
