An Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) decision has brought an Ottawa-based developer one step closer to building nearly a thousand homes in Perth.
In a settlement hearing on Thursday, the OLT found that Caivan’s proposed official plan and zoning amendments, as well as a draft plan and conditions, are in line with the provincial Planning Act and the Town of Perth and Lanark County’s official plans.
Residents had raised concerns about the proposal at a public hearing in June, mostly about traffic, access to municipal services and infrastructure and the development’s environmental impact
However, after expert recommendations from a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners were presented at Thursday’s hearing, the OLT concluded the new plans satisfied those concerns.
Caivan had originally asked council to amend a zoning bylaw in 2023, but the town failed to meet a deadline set out in the Planning Act.
That allowed the developer to appeal to the OLT later that same year.
Caivan’s proposed subdivision would see 940 new homes in a mix of housing types built on the site of the historic Perth Golf Course in the town’s southwestern outskirts.
Could house about 2,400 residents
The owners of the course sold the land to Caivan, which plans to maintain golfing on the site but reduce the number of holes from 18 to nine.
According to its website, the club – which opened in 1890 – has temporarily closed amid Caivan’s planning and is expected to reopen in 2027.
Advocates for the development say it would contain about 70 affordable housing units and be a roughly 10-minute walk from downtown Perth.
The subdivision is projected to house around 2,400 people. As of 2021, Perth’s population was about 6,500.
An OLT member ended Thursday’s hearing by saying a final decision is forthcoming.
The tribunal told that decisions are issued within 30 to 60 days of a hearing, though “depending on the complexity” some matters may take longer.
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