PEISome Stratford residents and councillors aren’t happy with a new housing development, saying it belongs in an area with higher density — but other council members disagree.Town approves eight-unit stacked townhouse, two five-unit townhouses in the areaThinh Nguyen · CBC News · Posted: Oct 14, 2025 1:33 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoScott MacDonald believes the stacked townhouse project does not belong in his neighbourhood, and he is concerned the development will increase traffic. (Jane Robertson/CBC)Some Stratford residents and councillors aren’t happy with a new housing development, saying it belongs in an area with higher density — but other council members disagree.The town has approved the construction of an eight-unit stacked townhouse and two five-unit townhouses on Swallow Drive.But not everyone is on board. Scott MacDonald, who lives next to the site, said the development doesn’t belong in the area.”The stacked townhouses don’t fit in this neighbourhood,” MacDonald told CBC News.“If you pan around all you’re going to see is single-family dwellings and it doesn’t fit.”MacDonald said the new units will bring more traffic. He added that he’s not against development, but believes stacked homes should be built in areas zoned for higher density.“The stacked housing — that’s the big issue. That’s what all the neighbours have an issue with,” he said.Council dividedMacDonald’s concerns are shared by some members of Stratford’s town council.During a council meeting last week, councillors debated over the direction of the town’s housing challenges and plan for a population that could double within the next decade. The discussion came up during talks about the proposed Swallow Drive development.Three councillors voted in favour of the project, while three voted against it — including Coun. Ron Dowling.The Town of Stratford has approved an eight-unit stacked townhouse and two five-unit townhouses, to be built on this site on Swallow Drive. (Jane Robertson/CBC)He said there’s nothing wrong with higher-density buildings, but they should be located in areas that are already zoned for that type of development, such as along the Trans-Canada Highway.“In 30 years time, we may have to start densifying the single-family neighbourhoods as a matter of requirement because we’re out of space,” Dowling said.“We’re certainly not at that point now, so there’s no need to rush beyond what the residents consider to be beyond an appropriate pace.”He said that building triplexes with fewer units would have been a better solution for the site.The tie vote meant the decision came down to Mayor Steve Ogden, who broke the tie in favour of the project.Coun. Ron Dowling says higher-density buildings should be located in areas already zoned for them, like along the Trans-Canada Highway. (Jane Robertson/CBC)Ogden said the new townhouse units would not have a significant impact on nearby residents, noting they will be about the same height as a single-family home.He said the development would help meet the needs of first-time buyers and older residents looking to downsize.”It responds to a need called the missing middle. It is something that’s really difficult for people starting out having to come up with a [$500,000] or $600,000 mortgage. I think these units will be quite a bit less than that in terms of the price point, I would expect,” the mayor said.Ogden added that the town could improve how it communicates about new developments, by getting information to residents earlier in the process.With files from Connor Lamont and Cody MacKay
It doesnt fit: Stratford residents oppose stacked townhouse project on Swallow Drive
