City wants flooding safeguards for hilltop subdivision
Sudbury city planners say developer should help pick up costs for building flood wall, drainage canal
A developer who some blame for flooding a Sudbury neighbourhood wants to double the size of its hilltop subdivision.
SalDan Developments will ask city councillors Monday night for permission to build 77 more houses overlooking the downtown.
City planners are recommending that the expansion of Sunrise Estates go ahead, but with a few conditions.
They want the developer to pick up some of the cost of building a flood wall and drainage canal, with the hope of protecting residents living below the hill.
Those projects could cost as much as $4 million.
Mike Challoux, who owns a duplex on Mountain Street, said he thinks taxpayers shouldn't have to pay to protect themselves.
"Why should we as taxpayers have to pay for a developer's profit," he asked. "You want to develop an area … fine … develop it. But pay for it."
Challoux is still fixing flood damage at his building and said he's lowered the rent for the tenants who agreed to stay.
He said he'll be at Monday’s meeting to ask the city to halt all development until it can prove that residents will be safe from flooding.
"The city's supposed to protect us, and it looks like they're not doing their job," he said.
Representatives of the developer could not be reached for comment. The company said there was a flooding incident back in 2009, but they say it was caused by a freak rainstorm — not its subdivision.