A new large-scale residential and commercial development is earmarked for Alexandria, on the site of the ill-fated Glengarry Hills Village project.
Developer Habitations Ladouceur is planning to create 1,200 housing units on the 54-acre site that would include 16 apartment buildings ranging from four to ten storeys in height, along with over 874 outdoor parking spaces and 1,000 underground parking spaces.
At the last council meeting, the planner and architect for Habitations Ladouceur presented a detailed vision of the new development, that would feature Scandinavian-style buildings with indoor pools and gyms. The developer is seeking rezoning of the area to allow for taller buildings.
The area of development will be west of the Glengarry Sports Palace, north of County Road 43, with direct access to that route. A portion of the area to be developed for housing is classified as non-evaluated wetlands – land which has not been formally assessed for its ecological value.
“It stinks”
During the presentation, the owners of Salzburg Farms on County Road 43, a dairy and breeding operation, raised concerns about the development’s impact on their farm. Angie and Anton Nussbaumer noted the farm is within 1,000 feet of the multi-level buildings that are being planned.
Residents who are not used to a rural lifestyle might not appreciate the realities of living close to an active farm, which produces manure.
“It stinks,” Angie Nussbaumer bluntly stated. “It smells like cow s—t.”
While the development is a “beautiful plan,” she fretted that new residents may eventually begin protesting against the unpleasant odours.
Ladouceur tried to reassure the Nussbaumer family that his North Glengarry roots gave him an understanding of rural life. He remarked that he wouldn’t wash windows on the day farm machinery was operating. He said he was sure there would be no conflict. “I am not that type of person,” Ladouceur commented.
The township has offered to facilitate meetings between the two parties.
Construction of the Glengarry Hills Village project, originally planned as a seniors’ enclave of residences, had been planned to begin in 2023, but the project never got off the ground.
Ladouceur is eager to move the housing development forward now that the foundations for growth, such as the wastewater lagoon, bypass and road improvements, are progressing.
