A major commercial complex in Owen Sound is running into roadblocks.
City Councillors have sent back to staff a proposal for a large scale big box development beside the Home Depot store.
A land development company, Sydenham Holdings, has submitted a plan to develop six commercial buildings on more than 158 thousand square feet of land.
At last night’s meeting — Council defeated a motion to approve the the zoning request, in principle.
Instead members will vote on it again in three weeks, once staff have addressed concerns they have.
Mayor Ruth Lovell Stanners says one concern is the number of parking spaces — over 11 hundred.
She says they also have questions about the minimum square footage of the proposed stores.
Lovell Stanners says they also need to look at what trees can be preserved.
Currently the property is deemed rural and also houses a butternut tree, which is on the Endangered Species Act list.
Sydenham Holdings has to get consent from the Ministry of Natural Resources before the healthy butternut tree can be removed.
Land use planner at Sydenham Holdings Allen Windrem says the current site plan will be subject to a lot of change because it cannot be finalized until they have tenants for the spaces.
No word on who those tenants might be — althought rumours persist the big box retailer is a Lowe’s store.
Lovell Stanners says they recognize the Eastside is a very vital, vibrant and commercial parl of Owen Sound.
But she says at the same time, there has to be preservation and protection of the downtown core.
Christy Hempel, an Owen Sound resident, is concerned about more big box development in the city.
Hempel thinks local citizens are more opposed to it than council is recognizing.
She is not convinced the peer review market impact study that was recently conducted has the correct facts on what the market can support.
The review recommended the site plan not include a large scale home improvement store because it would impact other downtown businesses.