City of Belleville planning staff are very busy people these days, and they won’t be expecting a quick meeting this Monday.
Public input is being asked for on several major development plans at a Planning Advisory Committee meeting.
Following public input, staff will issue a recommendation on the applications for the committee to decide on in the future.
The biggest project being proposed, by far, is for rezoning to allow a wide variety of uses on about 14.6 hectares (37 acres) of land running between Bell Boulevard and Highway 401, just west of the casino.
Under the plan, the rezoning would allow 14 commercial buildings plus a gas bar. The rezoning would allow for a large format retail store, smaller retail, a food store, a fitness centre, banks, restaurants, micro or craft breweries, and personal service shops.
This is the development proposal previously mentioned by Belleville Mayor Mitch Panciuk. Rumours continue to swirl that the large format retail operation would take the form of a Costco. That rumour has never been confirmed or denied.
To the south, a developer is asking for rezoning to allow a 6-storey, 29-unit, residential building with commercial on the ground floor at 2 Dundas Street West. This is a small part of the vacant property south of the Quinte Consolidated Courthouse.
In future, there could also be a 15-storey residential building on another part of the property.
Another rezoning application appearing Monday will be a change from low to high density on vacant land in the Settler’s Ridge subdivision. It’s being proposed that the land, south of Kempton Avenue between Sidney Street and Hampton Ridge Drive, be rezoned to allow for 40 townhouses.
The Planning Advisory Committee will also ask for public input on a proposal to rezone 1 hectare (2.5 acres) of vacant land in Canniff Mills Estates along Wim’s Way east of Farnham Road. It’s hoped that 21 single-family homes and 30 townhouses will be built there.
Another plan up for public comment doesn’t involve residential development but instead a rezoning application for a medical marijuana facility in the Avaya (former Nortel) building at 250 Sidney Street.
Under the proposal, marijuana wouldn’t be grown on site but simply received and then processed into various products.
It’s estimated around $250,000 worth of renovations would be needed to bring whatever space is needed up to code.
Part of that work would include measures to control odor from the operation.
Meanwhile, there is one item of interest that the Planning Advisory Committee will make a decision on, on Monday.
Staff is recommending 34.4 hectares (85 acres) of land around 473 Willet Road in Thurlow be rezoned from Prime Agricultural to Rural Residential.
There are no proposals for development on that land at this time.
Belleville’s Planning Advisory Committee meets at 5:30 Monday at city hall.
