New Sudbury residents fret over garbage-laden lot

A 137-room seniors’ home in New Sudbury was given the go-ahead by the city's planning committee Monday night.

But several people who live in the neighbourhood, including Metro Kozak, are worried about the plan.

"We'd rather have a seniors residence there than a factory. We're just concerned how it's going to influence us,” he said.

The neighbours are mostly concerned about the lot on 2nd Avenue, where the seniors’ home will be built.

They say it was filled in with loose rock and garbage in years past.

The neighbours say water drains off the lot into their backyards every spring — and some area homes have even been hit by boulders tumbling off the future site of the seniors’ home.

Both the developer and city staff assured residents that these problems will be fixed before construction starts.

Coun. Terry Kett said it’s up to city staff now to make sure these problems are solved before the home is built.

"We need to put our trust in staff that this site plan control agreement is going to protect these people, because I'm going to be watching that like a hawk,” he said.

The planning committee also approved a 104-unit duplex development off Algonquin Road in Sudbury's south end.

There too, neighbours have flooding concerns, but councillors ruled they weren't directly related to the development.

Councillors promised to hold another public meeting to deal with drainage in that part of the city.