My name is Brenda Gagnier and I am the daughter-in-law and representative for Rose-Marie Gagnier who lives at 3140 Lauzon Road. She has asked me to speak to council regarding her concerns on the proposed building at 3129 Lauzon Road. I have since been approached by numerous neighbours to also represent them in my presentation to you. The addresses of people voicing concern over this proposed development are:

3140, 3151, 3095, 3113, 3120, 3071, 3110, 3098, 3083, 3244 and 3014.

This property is directly across the street from my mother-in-law. She and her husband built their house approximately 55 years ago. They enjoyed many years of ‘rural’ living. At the time thi s area was called Sandwich East. Later it was amalgamated into Windsor. It was a gravel road at that time and animals and birds flourished in the area. Deer, ducks, various birds, squirrels and wild turkeys were commonplace to see.

Times change and progress moves on, which is totally understandable, but it was always felt this area would be immune to development other than single-dwelling housing. A road never imagined that this area would be developed into multiple condominium dwellings. Most of the homes on this part of the street are very large lots – wide and deep. Certainly I would think this street has some of the largest lots in the city. Mrs. Gagnier’s lot is 1 -1/4 acres.

People move to an area with the belief that what they bought is what they would expect to enjoy for years to come. In fact, when I first dated my husband, her son, there were Shetland ponies on the lot which is now proposed for development.

Once the owner of the property in question passed away it was certainly expected that someone would move in. Indeed the house was rented out for a short time by the family of the estate, and then the property was sold to a developer. We are told by the daughter of the estate that they approached the City to have the lot severed. The City at that time told them they’d be lucky if they could turn it into 3 lots but that the Ci ty’s position was to keep this lots consistent with others in the neighbourhood. Unfortunately she could not remember who this person was that she spoke to. Funny how now it is being proposed to bring in some 96 units.

As the neighbourhood waited and waited to find what was to be the destiny for this property, it was with a great deal of trepidation. The concern from many was that what exactly is proposed would indeed come to fruition.

In November, the neighbours received a notice from the City of Windsor detailing the application for bylaw change and this notice was accompanied with a drawing of the area. I must say, at this point, that the drawing does not appear to give a clear picture of what was to happen. Indeed, neighbours may not have comprehended the extent to which this was to change their neighbourhood. I subsequently contacted the City and was provided with the actual drawings of buildings and parking proposed for this land. Then upon further reading the application, found that as well as this, the developer planned on erecting a fence around the property. It is not clear whether some sort of fencing would also be along the frontage.

I will divide this presentation into several areas of concern: