A local environmentalist is up in arms that LIV Communities/Bosseini Living's Serenity Bay development in Cumberland Beach built a road rather than a boardwalk through protected green space near the shore of Lake Couchiching.
Because of that, he claims, water is now backing up and pooling in ponds of stagnant water rather than draining to the lake.
"The map at the public meeting only showed a red dotted line through the wooded, marshy area and they said they were building a boardwalk through there," said Matt Thomson.
The site plan on the builder's website shows a path leading to the lake with the message: future proposed boardwalk to Serenity Bay Lake Club.
Thomson said from what he understood the protected wetland between the development, located off Turnbull Drive, and the lake was to remain untouched and it had been set apart from the development by a plastic barrier.
However, the developer owns the land and also purchased two waterfront lots between Grayshott Drive and the shoreline.
"Then last March they cut a giant swath right through the wetland the width of a roadway and it goes all the way down to Grayshott Drive," said Thomson.
Severn Township Mayor Mike Burkett said he was aware there was going to be a path from the development and that some trees would be taken down.
"But they made it larger and I wish the residents had said something before hand but it was all done before we even were aware. So because it's through the protected lands, it's with the MNR (Ministry of Natural Resources). We have no jurisdiction. We notified the MNR," he said.
Burkett confirmed "it's not a walkway. It's a road. It's upsetting for me as well."
While the path was built last spring, Thomson said the work remains incomplete.
Water is stagnating on both sides of the "road" and it's above grade to where it ends at Grayshott Drive, so water is not flowing to the lake. In addition, a crosswalk ends in the marsh and a constructed playground built on the shore of Lake Couchiching has water pooling around it.
"So there is a lot of water sitting around because of the rain. It shows the lack of planning in how this thing drains," Thomson said.
There is a culvert at Grayshott, but that road need to be redone, said Burkett.
"The LIV development lands abuts Grayshott Drive. It's their land," Burkett added.
Thomson said the area is low lying and very close to the water table and he remains concerned that the wetland is not being properly protected.
Provincial planning statements protect wetlands and guide the Ontario building code and there is not supposed to be work done to disturb wetland areas. A road through a wetland disturbs the wetland, he stressed.
"This thing hasn't been resolved," he said.
"And all the mess around the road area in crossing Grayshott Drive, it's going to sit there for years. And this year they added the new playground and it's messy and it isn't draining," he said.
Thomson is also concern that the developer may have plans for more housing along Grayshott Avenue and potentially use the path for an actual road as another entry/exit point to the subdivision, which would further disturb the wetland, warned Thomson.
OrilliaMatters reached out to LIV Communities for comment, but they did not respond in time for publication of this article.
