Development denied on Pinebush Rd. in Cambridge, council cites major traffic problems
Posted Feb 28, 2024 03:50:56 PM.
Last Updated Feb 28, 2024 03:52:13 PM.
This week, Cambridge city council put a halt to a development on Pinebush Rd. that would look to add 39 units of ‘missing middle housing’, citing traffic concerns in the area.
Those traffic concerns were put under a spotlight after a 23-year old woman was killed in the same area as the proposed development earlier this month.
Councilors were disappointed in the lack of a traffic impact study done with the development, but city staff confirmed the study wasn’t required due to its size. The project would add 20 vehicles to traffic on Pinebush Rd. during peak hours, insignificant compared to the 100 vehicles of traffic required to trigger a Traffic Impact Study.
“It’s fine to say that there’s missing middle housing, but we’re putting at risk the people that are moving into this housing,” said Mayor Jan Liggett. “Knowingly, we would be putting them at risk.”
Coun. Mike Devine made the motion to refuse the development, adding that staff should conduct a transportation study on Pinebush Rd. between Franklin Blvd. and Conestoga Blvd. to increase safety.
“We do need housing in Cambridge, but it’s not housing at any cost,” said Devine. “That road out there is busy, it’s hectic. This needs to go back to the Region, back to the City, and see what can be done.”
Councilors Sheri Roberts and Scott Hamilton were not in favor of putting a stop on the plans, adding that the traffic on Pinebush Rd. is a separate, more complex issue that shouldn’t interfere with more housing.
“Starbucks is an intervening variable, the breakfast spot, the Purolator, the Tim Hortons across the road, these are all overlapping variables that contribute to the problem of this being a busy road,” said Hamilton. “It should absolutely be addressed. But, it cannot be addressed by combining it with a development application that is, by all means, relatively small.”
The development was brought into the chambers almost a year ago. At the time council voiced concerns about the surrounding traffic, but never made a motion to direct staff to look into the issue.
