On Mar. 3, the City of Waterloo Council approved $23 million in funding for the start of the Beaver Creek Rd. and Conservation Dr. redevelopment.
The City of Waterloo first proposed this project in the 1990s but delayed it due to its growth management strategy, prioritizing infill and intensification within existing urban areas.
Beaver Creek Rd. will undergo redevelopment from Laurelwood Dr. to Conservation Dr. to allow the construction of up to 4,500 new homes in the Beaver Creek Meadows district and the Erbsville North area to the west.
Waterloo approved the Beaver Creek Meadows District plan in 2015. The City of Waterloo is conducting studies and drafting technical engineering plans for the capital infrastructure improvements and servicing of Beaver Creek Road and Conservation Drive.
The planning team submitted three rezoning applications for between 1,366 and 2,055 new homes. Waterloo can anticipate more subdivisions and condominiums on the other lands within the district over time. The construction for these subdivisions will take ten to twelve years if an average of 200-250 new homes is built each year.
“The construction’s pace will depend on market conditions and developer business plans,” Joel Cotter, senior director of IPPW and director of planning for the City of Waterloo, said. “The city is not controlling the pace of the construction,”
“We are reconstructing Beaver Creek Rd. and moving it from a rural to a more urban cross-section, and we are also redeveloping Conservation Drive over the next couple of years,” Royce Bodaly, the Ward two councilor of the City of Waterloo, said.
Other project elements include a pumping station. The city is building an active transportation corridor around the Laurel Creek Conservation Area, so there will be a multi-use path, and extending services out there will help facilitate private development.
The project has two phases. The first phase focuses on the reconstruction of the roads to modern urban cross-sections, and the second phase focuses on the extension of municipal services.
“The project will allow for urban development on planned sites, including housing,” Cotter said.
He also said the new subdivisions will increase the inventory of low-rise residential lots in the city, providing more housing options and choices for the growing community.
Cotter listed the benefits of this project including new housing, new schools and protection of environmental lands, in many cases through municipal ownership. Some woodlands and wetlands would be transferred to the City of Waterloo. Other benefits include improved roads with active transportation infrastructure and mixed-use at Beaver Creek Rd. and Conservation Dr. to serve the day-to-day commercial needs of residents.
“I hope this project creates a vibrant neighbourhood that residents are proud to call home, with new homes, a new school, local commercial services, parks, and trails,” Cotter said. “Respect for nature, with significant environmental features protected. New roads that improve safety and enable services such as transit.”
The redevelopment is taking place at the end of the greenfield development in the City of Waterloo, and the city is trying to ensure that the area will be a complete community and a desirable place to live in the city.
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