Town council gets information on proposed Alloa Village

September 4, 2013 · 0 Comments

By Nick Fernandes
Alloa Village is a new plan for a high-tech, highly developed community that would sit within Caledon’s borders.
In a recent delegation to Town council, planning consultant Glenn Schnarr detailed the plans to bring the services the proposed community and what it could provide to Caledon.
The Alloa Landowner group is comprised of local farmers looking toward a square of land bordered by Missisauga, Mayfield, Old School and Chinguacousy Roads to build new developments in the southwest area of Caledon. He said the community is intended to be an “intelligent community;” a showcase for technological innovation and a center for a highly-skilled employment and tech-savvy workers. Among the features of the community will be 30 acres dedicated to build Caledon its own hospital. There would also be 100 acres for an adult-lifestyle community with high-tech housing and facilities for Caledon’s senior citizens, a five-acre satellite college campus, and a cultural arts centre to bring performing arts to the area.
But most prominent are the developments in Caledon’s technological industries. A 125-acre business park will supply offices for research and developments jobs and technological business to bring in new high tech employment to help Caledon meet some of the provinces employment targets.
It was this intention and comments about current efforts to spur economic growth that got raised eyebrows from council.
It was Councillor Doug Beffort who asked, “Did I hear you correctly saying that the intensification strategy isn’t going to work?” to which Schnarr reiterated his skepticism.
“I don’t think 100 per cent growth can be achieved through intensification alone,” he said.
Schnarr promised that Alloa Village would supply 10,000 jobs and provide development for a population of 25,000, which would help Ontario meet the infrastructure goals set by the Province’s Places to Grow document, and would help Caledon keep up economically as larger communities like Brampton grow outwards.
But Councillor Richard Whitehead was also unsure.
“The province is saying that he growth in Caledon will always be contained somewhat” he said, going on to restate that council has already been talking about extensions to Bolton.
Though council was skeptical, Schnarr promised that Alloa Village would not only provide growth for Caledon, supply healthcare and services to the town’s aging population, and give Caledon a competitive edge in technology, but also set up a standard for universal broadband internet access in the new community’s buildings and supply a new GO Station.