Developers eye Lucan, Ont.: Report asks for four times the land leaders anticipated
Lucan, Ont. -
It is known southwestern Ontario is booming when it comes to attracting new residents.
New home construction is apparent throughout London, but the Forest City is far from the only centre experiencing a boom.
Area small towns and villages are also growing, but none more so perhaps than Lucan. New homes are going up fast. Developers are starting to run out of space.
While the situation is not unlike other small communities, Lucan-Biddulph Mayor Cathy Burghardt -Jesson contends growth here is unmatched.
“There’s no secret Lucan is growing. We’ve had unprecedented growth. Much faster than we’ve anticipated and hopefully that continues,” she said.
And that has developers lining up. The fact is demonstrated in the current review of the official plan.
Cathy Burghardt-Jesson, Dec. 9, 2021. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)A consultant report shows developers, ideally, want four times the available land being considered for housing over the next 15 to 20 years.
The village is looking at about 140 acres of land, while developers want more than 600.
It is a significant spread and an alarming one for those who want to keep agricultural land from being zoned residential.
Yet, councillor Daniel Regan, who sits in the middle on the issue, says there is no way all the requests could be met legally.
“You’re not going to wake up a year from now and have 8,000 [residents]living in our community instead of 4,000,” said Regan.
“It is going to be a balancing act”, said Burghardt-Jesson adding, “We have to consider, ‘Where do we want to put people?”
A new home under construction in Lucan, Ont., Dec. 9, 2021. (Sean Irvine / CTV News)
Regan says that includes ensuring infrastructure is ready along with amenities from snow-plowing to trail systems.
Current residents of Lucan have already had a chance to offer feedback on growth. Further opportunities are planned.
As decisions are made, both politicians say the “essence” of Lucan community will remain.
After all, Regan says it is the small-town feel that both historical and future families are attracted to.
“It’s not about buildings. It’s about people. It’s about that feeling you have,” said Regan.
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