A proposal for the first phase of Edgemont East, a higher-density country residential development in the RM of Corman Park south of Saskatoon, has been sent back to the drawing board.
The RM of Corman Park Council voted to defer second reading of a bylaw to rezone a parcel of land on the south side of Grasswood Road near the intersection with Clarence Avenue from D-Agricultural District 1 (DAR1) to D-Country Residential 3 District (DCR3) and DCR3 with a Hold provision. The rezoning bylaw was introduced for first reading at the May 15, 2023 Corman Park council meeting.
Edgemont East Phase One would consist of 40 lots averaging .87 acres in size, in addition to a 12-acre recreational park area.
About 50 people packed the Corman Park council chambers during a public hearing at the June 19 council meeting, with the vast majority opposed to the proposed bylaw.
During the public hearing session, which lasted from 11:00 a.m. till 12:45 p.m., a succession of speakers, all residents of nearby hamlets or acreages, stated the proposed lot sizes of less than one acre in Edgemont East Phase One are not compatible with country residential living.
Many residents who spoke against the proposal cited unresolved problems with other recent country residential developments in the area, including Edgemont Park Estates and Grasswood Estates.
Edgemont East developer Darren Hagen told council during the June 19 public hearing that there is a strong market for smaller country residential lot sizes of less than one acre.
“Many people, particularly Millenials, like smaller acreages,” said Hagen. “They want a country lifestyle but don’t want to spend all their free time on yard work. Their focus is on ‘working to live’ and spending free time with their family and leisure activities.”
Hagen noted that while DCR3 zoning allows for one-third acre size lots, the Edgemont East development would not have lots that small. He said as a result of recent revisions of the plan, future phases of the development (there are four phases in total) would now have lots averaging one acre in size. The development would also offer many amenities.
But most residents at the public hearing opposed the development. Neil Ketilson said the minimum size for a lot in country residential developments should be two acres. He added there are infrastructure shortcomings in the Edgemont East proposal, similar to previous issues with nearby Edgemont Park Estates.
With upwards of 130 houses in the proposed development, any unforeseen problems that may arise with the new sewage treatment system would have serious implications, said Ketilson. He said a potential population of 400 people in Edgemont East would be larger than many towns in rural Saskatchewan.
“We don’t want a town in every quarter,” said Ketilson.
Many residents stated the influx of new residents would increase traffic and aggravate existing safety issues on roadways with no sidewalks or street lights. They also raised concerns about surface water drainage, the increased need for protective services, and whether South Corman Park School has the capacity to accommodate anticipated higher enrolment levels in the near future.
Division 1 Councillor John Germs introduced a motion, seconded by Division 2 Councillor John Saleski, to deny second reading. That motion failed. Saleski then introduced a motion to defer second reading, providing the developer with an opportunity to re-draft a proposal that would take into account the concerns raised by residents at the public hearing.
The motion to defer second reading passed unanimously.