Developer holds forum on 68-acre proposal in Sanford

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This article was published 16/02/2022 (1681 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sanford, Man., is one step closer to having a new, large-scale development built on the southern edge of the town.

Ventura Land Company has proposed to turn a 68-acre slice of land into a residential neighbourhood, mainly consisting of single-family dwellings.

The site is bordered to the north by Mandan Drive, to the south by Provincial Trunk Hwy 3. Provincial Road 334 lies to the west and Blythefield Road to the east.

Coun. Barry Feller (Ward 1), sees the proposed development as a positive step for the region.

“As councillor for Sanford, I view it (the development) as an important and exciting opportunity for the town,” Feller said in an email statement. “We have worked extensively with Ventura in the RM of Macdonald, and they offer an excellent choice of residential properties.”

The RM has been in conversation with Ventura for roughly three years. During that time, councillors and the developers have “worked to define a planning concept,” Feller said.

“We have had smaller developments over the years in Sanford, but the one proposed by Ventura is the most substantial,” Feller said.

Most of the 68-acre parcel is currently zoned as AR (agricultural restricted zone). A stretch of land at the north of the site, roughly an eighth of the site’s total surface area, is zoned as RG (residential general zone).

Ventura Land Company has owned the land for more than 15 years, said Tim Comack, vice-president of development.

The company didn’t move to develop the land until several years ago, partly because absorption in Sanford’s housing market has been slow, Comack said. However, he went on to say that his company’s vision for the site is now congruent with the market and with plans laid out by council and the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region.

“There’s a vision set forth for a variety of housing styles and types that, from our perspective, enables the development of that land,” Comack said.

The homes will accommodate residents with different needs related to affordability, stage of life, and family size, Comack said. In total, he anticipates the site will welcome roughly 400 doors, at an expected growth rate of 20 units per year.

“It will be a long-term project, multiple phases over probably 20 years,” Feller said.

Ventura Land Company invited Sanford residents to take part in two virtual consultations in early February. The meetings drew more than 60 attendees, Comack said, adding that the conversations between the developers and residents were overwhelmingly positive.

During the meeting, residents raised concerns pertaining to the project’s timing, phasing, and housing types.

“We believe that we have addressed the majority of those concerns,” Comack said. “Overall, their concerns were the normal ones.”

Comack said residents will have more opportunities to voice their thoughts on the development during the public hearing process as it moves through council, and during various building and design phases if council approves Ventura Land Company’s proposal.

Ventura Land Company’s next step is to draft road layouts and block plans for the initial section of the subdivision.