Buckles project to break ground this spring

Posted Feb 9, 2012 By Emma Jackson

EMC News - The long-awaited Buckles development is finally making headway in Osgoode after 15 years of hold-ups.

Park View Homes will begin prepping the site for its 95-lot South Creek Village west of Nixon Drive off Buckles Street this spring, and the first home could be complete as early as January 2013, said Tim Cinnamon, who owns the property with his brothers Andrew and Matt.

Installation of roads and services should begin late May or early June said Cinnamon, who said virtually all approvals have been acquired from the city of Ottawa to begin the first phase of 45 lots.

"We're just waiting for good weather," he said.

The property was previously owned by several people who weren't planning to develop it. Park View Homes acquired it in 2009, Cinnamon said. The three brothers grew up just outside Osgoode and since 1990 have built housing and condominium developments in Kemptville, Smiths Falls, Carp, Carleton Place and Almonte.

"We were born in Osgoode, so we know Osgoode fairly well. We knew Osgoode could be a good market. We were confident with the town," said Cinnamon.

He added that Park View tries to hire local tradesmen and to buy local building materials whenever possible.

Phase one will build 45 half-acre lots on the western side of the property, as well a new storm water management pond.

Local real estate agent Jeff Ritskes told a small crowd at the recent Osgoode Village AGM that the pond will create "Osgoode's first waterfront properties" and, if all goes well, will lead to walking paths and other recreational activities around the area. The developer will also set aside a piece of green space for a future park.

Cinnamon said many of the houses available for the development are small bungalows designed with seniors in mind: wider hallways and doorframes to maximize accessibility.

There are several models to choose from, and buyers have the option of customizing if their ideas fit the development's design. Cinnamon said Park View would like most houses to be 1,300 to 1,400 square foot homes beginning around $350,000 to accommodate small families, seniors and empty-nesters.

Osgoode Coun. Doug Thompson called that "common sense planning."

"That's great planning because as the population ages someone may develop physical restrictions, and they won't have to move out of their home if it's built to accommodate those needs," he said.

Thompson said the subdivision is the first new development the village has seen in a while and will help to revitalize the struggling commercial core.

"The economic state of the village is partly because we haven't had any rejuvenation. So this is a much needed shot in the arm for the entire village," he said.

Not everyone is as excited about the development, however. Buckles Street resident Julie Holt lives a few hundred metres east of the proposed development.

She said she's concerned about the amount of traffic that will travel down her currently quiet street once the new subdivision is complete.

"Traffic is now going to be excessive. In the planning stage they said it would be routed somewhere else, but that's not the case. It's going to be Buckles completely. It's a major problem, especially for pets and children," said Holt, who is concerned about her great-nieces and great-nephews who come to visit.

Thompson said he is aware of the traffic concerns, and will keep an eye on it as the project moves forward.

"We're always concerned about traffic and we'll just have to monitor that and if there are concerns we may be able to direct traffic through other means," he said.

Holt said she's also concerned that crime could go up as families move into the new houses.

"If you increase the population you're going to increase the trouble here too," she said. "I'm concerned about the kids not having enough to do and they will be doing vandalism and other things. They get doing bad things, and the car theft goes up, property theft goes up, and you have you have to lock everything up."

emma.jackson@metroland.com