Chester walks back proposed density increase to village core
Residents say well-water issues make more density too risky
Municipal staff are scaling back proposed density in the Village of Chester, after an outpouring of concern from residents led councillors to reject current plans.
More than 100 people attended a recent public hearing about the new land-use bylaw and secondary planning strategy for Chester village. Most spoke passionately against the plan to go from two units on a lot to three in the small village core, citing concerns about community character and impacts on the local water table as everyone uses wells for drinking water.
On Thursday morning, councillors for the Municipality of Chester agreed to send municipal staff back to make multiple changes to the plans, based on those concerns.
“We did make huge headway,” village resident Peggy Wilson said Thursday. “I think they understood that there’s a lot of people in town that are paying attention and, you know, we’re heading in the right direction.”
Wilson said locals aren’t against all development in the village area, and understand some will be needed. She said developers will always be able to pitch projects that could be successful if they meet certain requirements — but it pays to be cautious when it comes to planning documents that dictate what can be built without council approval. …[Continue Reading]