Alliance Homes – Hometown Creemore

Alliance Homes Inc. and its related company, Alliance Heritage Village Inc., will be developing approximately 500 housing units on 100 acres at the corner of County Road 9 and Mary Street. The new residential subdivision is called Hometown Creemore. CARA will continue to have a role monitoring the development and providing input to the developer.

For many years, CARA has participated in the public process for the proposed development of hundreds of homes at the corner of County Road 9 and Mary Street by Alliance Homes Inc. As part of the settlement agreement, CARA created a Liaison Committee which meets with Alliance Homes to review the progress of the proposed development, including architectural and design considerations.

Alliance Homes has been constructing the sanitary sewers, storm sewers, and other works in the fall of 2018. Construction of the first 15 homes will commence in 2018, with prices starting in the low $500,000s.

UPDATES:

May 27, 2019: Alliance Homes Inc. Subdivision Agreement was approved by Council. The 25 units planned in Phase 1a will now be eligible for building permits. Details are in report CS-037-2019.

October, 2018: Approved in 2007, the Alliance development is completing servicing along Mary Street. Phase 1a will include 15 singe detached dwellings, a four-plex and six-plex. 12 of the single dwellings have been sold. House prices range between $529,000 to $689,000 with Phase 1b being built next spring. A number of units will be available for rental in Phase 1a, with prices ranging from $1,200 for 751 sf to $1,700 for a 1,478 sf two-storey unit plus utilities. See also the October 19th Creemore Echo article, “Alliance development will include rental apartments”.

April 23, 2018: Council has approved an extension of the Draft Plan of Subdivision until April 9, 2021.

March, 2018: Both February items below (minor variance and the amended phasing plan) have been approved.

February 12, 2018: Alliance is seeking approval from Council for an amended phasing plan and related subdivision agreement amendment. See the Memorandum of Understanding and draft Plan here.

February 7, 2018: Alliance is seeking a minor variance from the Committee of Adjustment to permit a usable loft area option for purchasers above the detached garages of the single homes to be built along Mary Street. See the Land Use Planning Letter by Alliance's planner provided to the Township in support of the Minor Variance Application.

September 2017: Alliance Homes and Clearview entered into a pre-servicing agreement that permits Alliance, at its sole risk, to service the land for 25 units in the fall and winter of 2017. The pre-servicing agreement between Alliance Homes and Clearview was approved as By-law 17-88.

Historical Background and Minutes of Settlement

In February 2005, Alliance Homes first proposed an Adult Lifestyle Community of 527 homes in the northeast corner of Creemore, on active agricultural land. The proposal was supported by a Planning Justification Report prepared by Weston Consulting Group. At the time, CARA and others raised significant concerns about the development, particularly its overwhelming size in relation to the existing village. We were also concerned about the lack of a clear public engagement process.

To make a long story short, in the intervening years, CARA organized and attended a large number of public meetings and participated as a party at the OMB hearing in 2007. Ultimately, a Settlement Agreement was negotiated between CARA and the developer.

In December 2007, an appeal to the OMB by Alliance was settled with Clearview Township and with CARA, under two settlement agreements. While the developer obtained a withdrawal of CARA’s objection and ultimately received OMB approval to build 498 homes on this 100 acre site, the Settlement Agreements also provided for:

Staging of construction of the residential units and site services, starting with Phase 1, 25 units. That residential construction is now anticipated to start in the spring of 2018. Servicing will start in the fall of 2017.
Funding of a local Community Foundation by Alliance, starting with a $100,000 contribution by Alliance to the Foundation following the completion of Phase 1.
Creation of the Liaison Committee which will meet with the developer quarterly or as needed.
Architectural Control Guidelines that provide for compatibility with the community character and diversity in architectural styles, complementary to the historic architecture in Creemore. A three-person Architectural Control Committee, including a nominee of CARA, prepared the Guidelines and will review models and elevations to ensure conformity with the intent of the Architectural Control Guidelines.
A commitment from Alliance to use reasonable efforts to include some affordable housing units.
A commitment from Alliance to use local trades and suppliers to supplement its construction teams, if commercially reasonable to do so.

For key documents, click on the links below:

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