The Common Ground

New website and blog launched

2010-02-24T17:20:00.001-05:00

We are pleased to announce that due to an increased interest in participation from Chelsea residents, we have launched a new, more comprehensive website and blog. This new site has been designed to allow for discussions of the various aspects of our project in more specific detail while offering an overview of the progress of the project as a whole. You will also find links to relevant documents and updates on the approval process.

We will be keeping this older site operational for the time being to allow visitors to refer back to materials not present on the new site, but there will be no further updates to this blog. All future discussion will take place on the new site.

Please visit the new site at www.thecommonground.ca and participate in this important discussion about the future of our community.

Sincerely,

Sean, Maurice, Carrie

Amendment filed with Municipality

2009-12-08T19:38:00.003-05:00

On October 20, 2008 we filed an application with the Municipality to provide the village of Old Chelsea with an organic teaching farm, housing for seniors and a variety of income levels, small-scale retail/commercial outlets, a comprehensive network of parks and trails, more than 50 acres of green space and the preservation of the rural/agricultural gateway to Chelsea.

As more than a year has now passed without an official response from the Municipality we have begun looking at other options to allow us to stay true to our business plan. This past week we opted to sell development rights to the field south of the Chelsea Creek bordering on Link Rd. For the time being, this will allow us to focus our efforts on gaining municipal approval for our plans on the main portion of the Hendrick Farm and retain all of the elements of our initial application.

We have received every indication that the newly-elected Council is keen to consider your/our proposals and now that the referenda and elections are over Municipal staff are in a much better position to focus on a positive vision for the future of Old Chelsea.

Below is a copy of our latest application and the cover letter from our lawyer informing the Municipality of our amended plans.

As usual, we look forward to your comments and suggestions.

Comments from a Neighbour

2009-10-20T17:48:00.007-04:00

"Mr. McAdam:  

Questions have been asked for at least the past year and a half about reported water shortages in Old Chelsea and the admitted fact that the Spa and its adjoining restaurant have to use trucked water.   My house is on the acquifer that serves Vince Hendrick's farm.

  Chelsea's Director General has advised us that the Muncipality has no role in assuring that residents continue to have sufficient water, and has advised that we would have to hire lawyers to challenge a developer if our wells run dry. If our wells run dry our houses will be practically worthless, and I wonder where we would find a couple of hundred thousand dollars to hire lawyers.  

So there is evidence that the Old Chelsea section of the acquifer that serves Vince Hendrick's farm is already over-subscribed.

  You previously proposed drawing water from Chelsea Creek to supply houses. This indicates that you also are not confident there is sufficient water in the acquifer to supply your proposed development.   

The Golder report, on which Chelsea's current zoning is based, recommends minimum lots sizes of 1 to 1.5 acres per dwelling in the area of Vince Hendrick's farm, subject to an independent professionaL hydrogeological study FOR each area where development is proposed. This has not been done for the Hendrick farm. The acquifer is very uneven, and neither you nor anyone else knows for sure how much water is available under Vince's farm.  

Bringing in municipal water, as the business-oriented Chelsea Centre study group proposes, would be a catastrophe for residents but a bonanza for you, because 40-foot lots would become inevitable. I am one of those crazy radical people who believes that the interests of one developer and a few businesses should not take precedence over the interests of hundreds or thousands of residents. You may call that unfair. We call it democracy.

  The outgoing Council did not hesitate to vote unanimously for Chelsea Creek, although the proposed density was almost three times what the underground water will support. This shows us the the previous Council was completely detached from reality.  

We agree that as a businessman, you have a right to exploit a business opportunity. All we are saying is that you have no right to do it at huge expense to existing residents, as the previous Council was prepared to let happen.

The previous Council left a terrible legacy of mistrust. Water is of such hugely great importance that guessing about how much there is will not do. We need a lot more independent verificable information before we can be sure that our homes are safe. Then we will be interested to see how good your design is.  

Doug Griffin 
15 Birch 
819-827-0193"

Dear Mr. Griffin:

Thank you for taking the time to write. With the exception of the need for the clarification of some facts, I agree wholeheartedly with your comments. You are absolutely right that we “have no right to... [develop] at huge expense to existing residents...” and that, “the interests of one developer and a few businesses should not... take precedence over the interests of hundreds or thousands of residents”.

As you know, my partners and I have spent more than two years talking to Chelsea residents about our plans for the Hendrick Farm and have arrived at the conclusions we have as a result. One of these conclusions is on the question of how we provide water to our project. You correctly point out that we propose to draw water from the Chelsea Creek that runs through the farm. You incorrectly state, however, that “(t)his indicates that [we] are not confident there is sufficient water in the acquifer to supply your proposed development.” We do not know any more than you do whether the acquifer under the Hendrick Farm is plentiful enough to supply our project. We simply looked at the resources readily available to us and concluded that drawing and treating the available surface water will more than easily supply the water requirements of our project without in any way affecting neighbouring wells.

Environment Quebec has given us permission to draw 1.7 per cent of the "drought flow" - a measurement taken when water levels are low - for drinking and household water. The province allows up to 20 per cent of drought flow to be taken from rivers and creeks. 1.7% of drought flow would be enough to supply more than 150 households yet we are proposing only 110.
We are not now and have never proposed that Municipal water be drawn from the Gatineau River to supply our project or anyone else’s. And we are most certainly not suggesting that we have concerns about the acquifer under the Hendrick farm. We are simply proposing a solution that would cost the Municipality and tax payers nothing and would not in any way impact neighbouring wells.

You raise another point that I think is worthy of wider discussion. We are able to propose 110 units on 110 acres for two reasons: First we are assuming that the Municipality will not impose a litany of expensive hurdles during the approval process and, second, we are assuming that our project will get a green light in a reasonable period of time.

Our first assumption is contingent on NOT having to provide unnecessary studies like the hydro-geological engineering work that you propose (and is not required when drawing surface water). Studies of this sort cost in the vicinity of $300,000 and obviously have to be off-set by the addition of units to the project. The nearby Chelsea Creek development - by virtue of what is being proposed - has likely had to spend more than a million dollars on studies justifying their project. We hope to keep the number of units low by keeping costs low. All aspects of our conservation development have been conceived with a view to promoting long-term sustainability and minimizing environmental impact not only because we believe that this is the right thing to do but because it also allows us to keep our costs low.

While we remain hopeful, our second assumption is seeming increasingly foolhardy. By coincidence today marks the 1 year anniversary of us filing our project plans with the Municipality of Chelsea. We have yet to have received much more than fleeting consideration by the Municipality. Our hope is that the new Council and Mayor will quickly seize our file as an opportunity to appropriately define the gateway to Chelsea (an agricultural, rural village setting) before the passage of time makes it next to impossible for us to maintain our current plans.

We would certainly appreciate your intervention in ensuring that we are able to keep the number of units low by convincing the powers that be that unnecessary studies and long delays are the biggest threat to preventing unbridled development and density.

All the best,
Sean

Anniversary of filing with Municipality

2009-10-20T15:08:00.003-04:00

Today marks the one year anniversary of us filing our project plans with the Municipality of Chelsea. We look forward to the upcoming Municipal election and hope that we will be given the green light in time for the planting season this spring.

Sean

Here is a reminder of what we said one year ago:

"Plans now officially filed" http://chelseamatters.blogspot.com/2008/10/plans-now-officially-filed.html

As you know, for nearly a year now we have been consulting Chelsea residents about our plans to develop the Hendrick Farm west of Hwy 5, south of Old Chelsea Rd. We have held numerous public meetings and have been fortunate to have gained a significant amount of input through the meetings as well as this blog. As a result of these consultations, We are pleased to announce that on October 20, 2008 we submitted the official development application to the Municipality of Chelsea

In summary we are proposing the following:

•110 units on 110 acres.

•Approximately 56 acres of green/agricultural space.

•An extension of the commercial enterprises in the current village of Old Chelsea that would include outlets such as a wellness centre, restaurants and fitness related retail.

•An open air market with ample parking.

•An organic farm/community garden.

•Community ski/walking trails.

•A potential connection to the Gatineau Park.

•Mixed residential housing.

•Co-operative housing for seniors, farmers and young families.

•An innovative water purification and distribution system using surface water gathered from the creek that runs through the farm.

We are also still actively pursuing the possibility of a horse farm on site.

We strongly believe that this development will greatly enhance the character of Old Chelsea Village, preserve the rural heritage and character of Chelsea, and fortify the distinction between our village and the City of Gatineau. Furthermore, our plan is entirely consistent with the spirit and letter of the Master Plan.

We are still very interested in gathering as much input as possible about these plans. There is still lots of opportunity to make changes to our proposals, so please stay engaged and let us know what you think.

Thanks,

Sean, Maurice, Carrie

Municipal Election - Get Involved

2009-10-19T14:19:00.001-04:00

Dear Neighbour,

I am writing to encourage you to participate in an important community forum. This week, as part of the Municipal election process, the Chelsea Chamber of Commerce is hosting a public discussion and question period with all of our candidates for Mayor and Council. This event will offer an excellent opportunity for Chelsea residents to meet, question and hear from our local candidates about their vision for Chelsea. (Click on PDF for more details.)

Cher voisin,

Je vous invite à participer à un forum communautaire important. Cette semaine, dans le cadre des élections municipales, la Chambre de Commerce de Chelsea invite tous nos candidats pour la Mairie et le Conseil Municipal à une discussion publique, suivi d’une période de questions. Cet évènement constitue une excellente opportunité pour tous les résidents de Chelsea d’échanger avec nos candidats locaux et mieux connaître leur vision pour notre communauté. (Voyez attaché)

Thoughts From a Chelsea Based Architect

2009-02-15T21:58:00.006-05:00

"Thanks for taking this pro-active approach in seeking comments, suggestions from the local community for your next great development plan. I hope the Chelsea takes advantage of this opportunity during the planning stages of the project to allow you to create a truly “Common Ground” development proposal. I have been meaning for sometime to offer you my thoughts.

1. I fully support the idea of a mixed use development which incorporates housing (in various types), retail/commercial, and agricultural operations. Developing the Hendrick property with only “estate housing” would be a great loss to Chelsea’s future potential.

2. You should resist the “suburban” plan of spreading housing over the entire site or plotting single homes strung along a series of roads across the open landscape. I would strongly suggest higher density housing in selective areas of the site. By grouping a series of single family homes, into a neighborhood, possibly centered on the idea of common organic gardens or park areas you would expand the area which could be left untouched and open for commercial farming, recreation, etc. I have travelled to several “planned communities” where homes are oriented towards common elements such as parks, playing fields, gardens, skating rinks, and walking trails, apposed to fronting onto car oriented streets. The grouping of homes into these blocks reinforces the idea of “community”. People use the comment elements because they take ownership for it, its right outside their front door.

3. The open nature of the Hendrick land will require strict controls on the architecture. The success of your development will be shaped by the initial planning, but also by what is actually built. The typical “front design elevation” house will look lost on this pasture landscape. Buildings and Houses will be viewed from all sides in this development. Equal thought needs to be applied to all views of the buildings, there is no rear elevation. There should be controls on the style of housing permitted and the practice of repeating the same house design over and over banned.(see Chelsea Park!!) Rural style architecture should be promoted both in architectural character, materials, and size. Quality over Quantity

4. Your development has an opportunity to create an “urban” edge along Old Chelsea road in keeping with a country town. Stores or shops with fronts along a landscaped pedestrian corridor not backed off the road behind a parking lot.

5. Your plan for trails and pathways should be put in place as part of the development, in Chelsea Park we are still waiting for the Municipality to construct the network of paths indicated in your development plan. It would be great if these ideas are actually acted upon.

I trust you will find these comments helpful
Regards,
Doug Brooks, D.A.T., LEED AP, Associate Barry Hobin Architects
(Chelsea Park Resident)"

Canadian Organic Growers finds 'Common Ground' in Chelsea

2008-12-23T10:00:00.001-05:00

For immediate release December 23, 2008

Project wins initial support from Agriculture Canada

Chelsea – Local community developer Sean McAdam and Canadian Organic Growers (COG) announced today that they are joining forces with local farmers to explore ways to develop an organic farm as the centerpiece of the newly minted ‘Common Ground’ project in the heart of historic Old Chelsea village. McAdam and COG also announced that the project has garnered initial support from Agriculture Canada’s ‘Agricultural Co-operative Development Initiative’. Preliminary plans are under way for a 25-acre organic farm with an adjacent farmers’ market to be established on Common Ground – the site of the current Hendrick Farm on Old Chelsea Rd., west of Highway 5.

“Maintaining the agricultural heritage of the farm has been central to our project. We are extremely happy to acknowledge the support of COG and the Agricultural Co-operative Development Initiative in allowing to help make organic farming and locally grown food available in Chelsea,” said McAdam.

“This project is generating a lot of excitement in the community: people love the idea of seeing young farmers working the land, being able to buy fresh organic produce in their community and being part of growing the local organic food movement,” added McAdam.

Canadian Organic Growers is a national charitable organization with members in all regions of Canada. COG's membership is diverse and includes farmers, educators, policy-makers, and consumers. Their members believe that organic food production is the best choice for the health of consumers and producers, for the protection and enhancement of the environment, as well as the sustainability of the food production system.

“We are very excited about our role in the Common Ground project in Chelsea and look forward to developing the full educational and agricultural potential of this land. We hope this project can be the catalyst for growing a new generation of organic farmers,” said Laura Telford, Executive Director of Canadian Organic Growers.

The Common Ground project is in the process of seeking approval from the Municipality of Chelsea for its plans for mixed-use agricultural/commercial activities, as well as rural residential and co-op housing for seniors and young families. The project is 110 acres in total - 36 acres of which will be preserved for green space and 25 acres for farming. Of the 110 planned units, 27 are slated for co-operative housing. The project is still actively seeking community input. If successful, the farm initiative would be led by a newly formed co-op: the Coopérative de Solidarité des Produits Agricoles Biologiques de la Vallée de la Gatineau.

-30-

The Common Ground

2008-12-21T15:56:00.007-05:00

After a year of consultation with the Chelsea community and beyond we are pleased to announce that the new working name for our project will be "The Common Ground". We believe that 'common ground' reflects the reality of farmers, residents, co-operatives and merchants as well as, we hope, municipal officials arriving at a common agreement for the type of activities that should take place on this extraordinary farm in the heart of historic Old Chelsea village. In the coming weeks we will have some exciting announcements about the partnerships we have established with other community organizations to help make this project the diverse reality that we hope will make anyone who visits get a real sense of 'The Common Ground'.

Sean, Maurice, Carrie

Creek to supply next project

2008-10-24T16:33:00.002-04:00

From the Low Down (October 22, 2008)

"Chelsea's Hendrick Farm development has submitted plans to draw water from the Chelsea Creek to supply water to all the future development's units.

Quebec's environment ministry has given the developers permission to draw 1.7 per cent of the "drought flow" - a measurement taken when water levels are low - for drinking and household water. The province allows up to 20 per cent of drought flow to be taken from rivers and creeks.

"It will fulfill all of the household water use," said developer Sean McAdam. The water will be drawn from the creek, filtered and piped into the houses.

He says using the creek water will ensure surrounding wells won't be affected by the development's water use. The volume of water approved by the provincial government is enough to supply 150 houses, says McAdam. The development is proposing 110 homes. McAdam submitted plans Oct. 20 to Chelsea municipality. "Yesterday's filing officially kicks off the approval process at the municipality," he says, adding he plans to continue public consultations throughout the approval process."

Plans Now Officially Filed

2008-10-24T16:18:00.007-04:00

As you know, for nearly a year now we have been consulting Chelsea residents about our plans to develop the Hendrick Farm west of Hwy 5, south of Old Chelsea Rd. We have held numerous public meetings and have been fortunate to have gained a significant amount of input through the meetings as well as this blog. As a result of these consultations, We are pleased to announce that on October 20, 2008 we submitted the official development application to the Municipality of Chelsea

In summary we are proposing the following:

•110 units on 110 acres.

•Approximately 56 acres of green/agricultural space.

•An extension of the commercial enterprises in the current village of Old Chelsea that would include outlets such as a wellness centre, restaurants and fitness related retail.

•An open air market with ample parking.

•An organic farm/community garden.

•Community ski/walking trails.

•A potential connection to the Gatineau Park.

•Mixed residential housing.

•Co-operative housing for seniors, farmers and young families.

•An innovative water purification and distribution system using surface water gathered from the creek that runs through the farm.

We are also still actively pursuing the possibility of a horse farm on site.

We strongly believe that this development will greatly enhance the character of Old Chelsea Village, preserve the rural heritage and character of Chelsea, and fortify the distinction between our village and the City of Gatineau. Furthermore, our plan is entirely consistent with the spirit and letter of the Master Plan.

We are still very interested in gathering as much input as possible about these plans. There is still lots of opportunity to make changes to our proposals, so please stay engaged and let us know what you think.

Thanks,

Sean, Maurice, Carrie

2008-09-30T14:54:00.005-04:00

This past Saturday we held a corn roast and public consultation on the Hendrick farm. The event started with a presentation about the specifics of the current development plans from our perspective as well as presentations from the Canadian Organic Growers and the Greenspace Alliance. After nearly an hour of questions and answers, we headed out onto the farm for tours of where we propose the various components of the development be - the park, the organic farms, housing, etc.

To those who attended, we sincerely thank you for participating and we hope you had as much fun as we did. To those who did not make it, we hope that you will be able to join us next time.

(The photo is of one of the small groups touring the creek bed that runs through the farm.)

Sean, Maurice, Carrie

First Draft Site Plan

2008-06-06T15:19:00.003-04:00

This is the first draft plan. It incorporates the following:

110 units on 110 acres.

Approximately 56 acres of green space.

A recreo-touristic extension of the commercial enterprises in the current village of Old Chelsea that would include outlets such as a wellness centre, restaurants, fitness related retail.

An open air market with parking.

The potential for a horse farm.

An organic farm/community garden.

Community ski/walking trails.

A potential connection to the Gatineau Park.

Mixed residential housing.

Potential cooperative housing.

---

Sean

The Low Down - June 4, 2008

2008-06-05T17:14:00.000-04:00

56 green acres for Hendrick Farm

Horses, farms… developer did his homework

By Nick Anning

He’s posted his blog, talked to the locals and now Sean McAdam is ready to share his first draft plan for his proposed 110-acre Hendrick Farm development in Chelsea.

And the Chelseaite and developer is confident his neighbours will like the design, which he said “preserves a distinction between the city and Chelsea, and preserves the heritage of Hendrick Farm.”

The crowd-pleaser: 56 acres of green space along with an equestrian centre or possibly organic farms.

A total of 110 units of residential and commercial buildings based on the “cluster housing” principle, means McAdam’s development will put density at Chelsea’s current level of one unit per acre.

McAdam aims to present the plans, which he thinks comply with the 2005 master plan, to Chelsea municipality this week.

He also very much wants the “input and collaboration” of Chelsea residents, whether they are saying “great,” or that he’s got it “all wrong!”

But, said the developer who brought the large Chelsea Park housing development, he is “extremely confident” the plans are a “reflection of what people want to see happen” on the farm located west of Hwy 5 adjacent to Old Chelsea Rd.

McAdam anticipates approximately 90 residential units built, which he hopes will include cooperative housing in one sector. Designs for the residential units are not complete, but he expects a mix of sizes, up to 2,100 square feet, clustered together on lots approximately a quarter of an acre in size.

By clustering the houses, which will nevertheless back on to vast areas of green space, he will be able to “preserve the rural sense” that many equate with the land that is the gateway to the municipality.

ORGANIC FARM?
McAdam’s plan also sets aside around 25 acres for agricultural activities. The Chelsea developer announced plans for the riding centre when he announced the land purchased weeks ago. The idea for an organic farm came via the blog he introduced for community input into the development.

MARKET
McAdam also sees a market, which could be both open-air and indoor, which will hopefully utilize existing Hendrick’s family farm buildings.

The commercial aspect of the development will be introduced in two phases, and target primarily recro-touristic enterprises, which McAdam said would be in contrast to the professional retail units intended for the Chelsea Creek development east of Hwy 5.

ACCESS
Access to the Hendrick Farm development, which does not have a set time line at this stage, will be via Chelbrook Rd, which is off Old Chelsea Rd., opposite Café Soup’herbe. A limited number of additional roads will be built within the development to allow access for residents.

PRIVATE WELLS
McAdam has commissioned a hydro-geological study to test water quantity and quality; a green light will see all units drill private wells.

The whole development will hook into the municipality’s future wastewater treatment system for Old Chelsea.

McAdam’s blog can be reached at chelseamatters.blogspot.com.

New Comment - May 7, 2008

2008-05-07T15:21:00.002-04:00

Comment from 'L':

Hi I keep meaning to respond and finally am getting
around to it before I leave on holiday tomorrow! I am
not very good on the computer so did not know how to
use the blog but I did read the responses.
Thanks for caring enough to ask for input. I don't
know if you have ever been to Holland but we were very
impressed by the way they do their new developments.
They make them for people first and cars last. So they
put in walkways, bike paths (canals since it's
Holland) trees, shrubs flowers etc. When it's done it
looks as though it's been there for ages. If there has
to be a development I would like it to be a place
people can move around on foot etc as well as by car
and a place where children can play safely. I worry
that the trees along the ravine might disappear, I
think they are important. I would like the houses to
be varied and not in rows like the developments off
the Chelsea road.
Good luck, L

Request for Input

2008-05-07T15:06:00.001-04:00

In February I established this blog as a forum for broad discussion about development plans for the Hendrick farm west of Hwy 5, south of Old Chelsea Rd. I said at the time that my preliminary ideas for the land might include a riding stable or other establishment that would keep the rural heritage of the farm and provide an economic engine that would allow for the preservation of more green space. I also made it clear that plans for the farm will be governed by the Chelsea Master Plan.

Since the launch of the web site there has been some interaction by immediate neighbours of the farm but not many comments from the Chelsea community as a whole. I would like to once again encourage participation from the wider community.

With all the recent debate about the neighbouring Chelsea Creek development, I recognize that many people’s preference would be for nothing to be developed on this Hendrick farm. I feel a strong responsibility to ensure that business interests are balanced with the interests of the Hendrick family and my fellow residents of Chelsea. I sincerely want to engage Chelsea residents in a conversation about how we can achieve this balance.

Do you have specific worries about the development of this land? What are they?

What one particular element or business do you feel would make a positive difference to Chelsea?

Is there something that you think should not be part of this development?

What type of restaurant do you feel is missing in Chelsea? What about other businesses?

Is there a type of housing or style of architecture that you would like to see or not see?

Do you know of other development projects that might be of interest?

A blog may not be for everyone, so feel free to reach me by other means. But let’s be sure to talk.

Sean McAdam

Responses to Low Down ad

2008-04-14T12:05:00.002-04:00

The following are copies of e-mails that have been sent to me. Because they were private e-mails, I have included only each person's initials, but the content is unedited. A number of other people have telephoned me and I will compile their suggestions and post them here as well.

-----

Hello,
I saw your survey in the Low Down and wanted to respond to some of your questions.

1/ Yes. I am worried that eyesores such as the Giant Tiger complex in Wakefield and the housing development near the covered bridge in Wakefield will be developed.

2/ In terms of a positive business, some where locals will shop. A practical business such as: a produce store, butcher shop, pharmacy. Not a pet studio for example or expensive restaurants.

3/ Yes. Density housing that is ugly, large retail/box stores.

4/ It would be nice to have a local restaurant that caters to families, good and healthy food, not too expensive and a comfortable space to hang out in. A place that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. For example, soup and sandwich or wood-fired pizza.

5/ I dislike the new box housing developments that have no character.

6/ I think a community park with a playground would be a nice where people can meet and hang out with their kids in a natural setting.

I hope this helps,
V.

-----

Sean,

I think I have an idea that merits being suggested. I hate to see all our agricultural land being eaten up by development. So personally, I would prefer to keep the land as least developed as possible. I have a vision of an 1800's village being created on the site, something similar to Upper Canada Village. Development and pollution would be to a minimum with this type of concept. At the same time, it would be a tourist attraction and create summertime jobs, helping our economy. It would create an opportunity to preserve and recycle some old architecture from the region, buildings and barns that instead of being torn down and forgotten, could be moved to the site and reconstructed. You may even be able to negotiate an old-fashioned train station stop for the Wakefield - Chelsea train. It would display some of the old farming and agriculture methods (horse drawn plows, organic gardening) and some of the old trades like blacksmithing. Therefore, it would be educational. True, it would be most active in the summertime, but horse drawn sleigh rides and a sugar bush could keep it going throughout the winter and early spring. Restaurants keeping with the 1800's theme could offer long forgotten, home cooked, old fashioned dishes and deserts. Lastly, if done right, it would be very scenic and could attract movie producers who would want to film some scenes for their movies.
With other nearby tourist attractions such as the Gatineau Park, the Aerial park, the farmer's market and other Chelsea attractions, this would make for a wonderful all around experience for our many tourists that visit the area every year. I'm sure there are many other ideas that could be incorporated into this type of concept, and for sure lots of room for imagination.

L.K.

-----

Sean McAdam,

Your sincerity, clarity and prompting with specific questions in
the Low Down insert should surely stimulate some community discussion.
Bravo.

My initial response is simply that I feel the essential
significance of the Hendrick Farm is surely the openness of the land
around the setting of the house and buildings. This is clearly
visible from the Old Chelsea road and it fixes the aspect historic
hill and the center village. I am concerned that a development of
the land may include some building between the Old Chelsea Road and
the ravine of the creek. A plan designed to guarantee the openness
of this part of the property would be worthy, in your words: TO CREATE
AN OBVIOUS BUFFER.

B.G.

Low Down editorial - April 2, 2008

2008-04-03T16:17:00.002-04:00

A Chance for More Than Beers and Kitchen Tables

By Nikki Mantell

Hey, Chelsea.

A developer is asking for your feedback on a proposed 100-some acre housing project in the heart of the village before the plans are all drawn up.

How come nobody cares enough to answer him?

The man who brought the monster house development called Chelsea Park, is making plans for an interesting riding stables / cluster housing development right next door to the feverishly-debated Chelsea Creek Project.

While the land transaction with Vince Hendrick for the last operating farm in Chelsea is pretty much a done deal, the architectural plans are not. And McAdam is asking for input.

But as of this week, no one except Joseph Potvin of the Greenspace Alliance (who argues for opening the space to small organic farms) has taken up his offer to give comment on his blog, http://www.chelseamatters.blogspot.com/.

It’s been up for over a month, and it’s not like Chelsaeites aren’t shouting at each other over beers and kitchen tables about the way Chelsea is about to go to hell in a high-density handcart.

So what gives?

Do Chelseaites not care? Do they just not use the internet much? Maybe they don’t know about it.

Or maybe they only like to NIMBY when the future smacks them in the face.

Marc Shank told us that the first round of consultations with the neighbours for Chelsea Creek held last summer went swimmingly; he was genuinely taken aback with the backlash this fall when it got press.

The cynic in all of us raises his shaking head, believing that such requests for feedback are an insincere foil for PR purposes, and will have little to no impact on the final plans. (Does anyone remember what the developer of the mall at the entrance to Wakefield promised after consultations? A farmers market? An artists’ mural? Earthy, wooden signage?)

The thing with this developer, he lives in Chelsea and if he chooses to stay after building the McAdam Dude Ranch and Townhouse Estates, he still has to face his friends and neighbours over beers and kitchen tables.

Chelseaites should give him a piece of their mind, sooner, rather than later http://www.chelseamatters.blogspot.com/.

Greenspace Alliance writes

2008-03-25T16:02:00.002-04:00

Sean, In the view of Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital (Alliance pour les espaces verts dans la capitale du Canada) http://www.greenspace-alliance.ca/, the remaining natural land and farmland between Gatineau and Chelsea constitutes a 'de facto' greenbelt to the north of the capital. We think it is important that your plan address the problem of loss of arable land, so that your proposal is not "just more urban sprawl on farmland". For a network of people such as we are, our usual reaction to building houses on agricultural land would be outright opposition. However we would like to suggest an approach for you to consider that might potentially enhance the value of the residential properties, while also meeting community interests in greenspace conservation.

Essentially, we wonder whether you could turn the site into more productive agricultural land than it has ever been before, while also bringing in housing, to combine residential development and ecological enhancement. Our *very preliminary* logic goes like this:

1. The former owner mainly used the land for hay and cattle. But cattle are not ecologically efficient sources of food due to the high proportion of grain required to produce the comparable live weight of cattle; erosion and compaction due to trampling; potential for entry of manure into streams; etc.

2. Could small/medium-scale organic vegetable farming be brought to this land as an integral part of your housing development in such a way that the net market worth, and the net ecological impact, are both positive? We don't know. But it would be interesting to have a technical analysis of the current food productivity of the high-clay soils. This could be compared with the potential if all the non-forested areas of the land were improved over time with compost, and then used for cultivating organic crops. Then its potential could be assessed if used for mixed organic farming and housing, still without significant disturbance of the forested sections. If there were to be a $x loss to the net market worth of the development as a result, maybe there's a creative way to finance that $x value.

3. In this concept, at least one, but possibly two small "anchor" farms should be included in the development, involving professional organic growers. They could either own or lease the land. In 2000, nearly 60% of Canada's organic farms were less than five acres and 80% were 10 acres or less. http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/21-004-XIE/21-004-XIE2005002.pdf So it should probably be feasible to include this in your layout.

4. By hosting some professional organic farmers, your would therefore be making professional gardening consultants available to residents. In addition to the anchor farms, you can further optimize the housing development to support household agriculture. For example, houses could include effective rainwater storage, root cellars, ready-made composting facilities, as part of their design. Small greenhouses could be individual or shared. Not everyone would end up using these things for vegetable gardening -- that's alright. But at least a certain proportion of your home-buying market will buy there specifically because the infrastructure is optimized for gardening. Some will not keep it up, but also some will become converts. (I think you might want to market to older Italians or Portugese -- they typically have the most amazing urban gardens ;-) Here's a 1999 report on a food growing strategy for Toronto http://www.toronto.ca/health/tfpc_feeding.pdf And here is a small example of the way of thinking this leverages, which we think has good marketing potential: http://www.urban-homesteading.com

5. To ensure viability of the commercial "anchor" farm(s), the business plan of the development could cross-subsidize them in some way from the residential development. The logic is that the presence of
organic farming will increase the value of all your other properties. A nicely-maintained organic farm is an outstanding asset to a community, even from the purely aesthetic perspective, and would further help the housing development keep a genuine rural character.

6. The residents of the project would have first-right-of-refusal to the food produce from the anchor farms. Produce can be distributed as numerous organic growers do already -- through "memberships" (e.g. My wife and I pay $500 ahead of each season, in March, to a grower north of Wakefield. Then from late May through Oct, we pick up a weekly container of in-season produce from the community pick-up location. This gets the farmer up-front $ for planting and better planning, and we all share the risks of weather.) It is very convenient that the Chelsea Organic Market each summer/fall Saturday is right across and just down Old Chelsea Rd. from your proposed development. This is where residents who do cultivate could take all their excess produce during the harvest season peak. In general, by including organic farming as a core theme in your development, you would also be including healthy community activity. Essentially, if one thinks of this suggestion in terms of Chelsea's overall semi-rural character, instead of a "forest theme" that it already has, we are suggesting an "organic food theme". This would ensure your development is a lot more rural than the existing development area across from the post office (though that area too could be "retrofit" with organic farming, if our idea were to become a contageous theme).

7. We know that the land quality, as it currently is, would not be particularly good for vegetables. But if organic vegetable farming were to be included as an integral theme of your development, the right
conditions can be created without a large additional investment. A soil enhancement plan with compost is practical, and this would also be a great way to use the horse manure from the riding stables that have been talked about.

8. Things are looking quite shaky on the macroeconomic front:
http://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/review/06/07/Kotlikoff.pdf
http://www.forbes.com/business/2008/02/07/buffett-dollar-economy-biz-cx_af_0207buffett.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=azY26ubt4eqQ&refer=home
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/ht022608.shtml
See the statement by Nouriel Roubini
http://www.rgemonitor.com/blog/roubini/245171/
http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,520700-2,00.html
http://www.energybulletin.net/23259.html
..... So this is timely reading:
http://www.newsociety.com/bookid/3920
If (when) things go bad, Chelsea will have problems because of our very high dependence on cheap fuel, and imports of food from distant places. Taking steps to make Chelsea an agro-residential community, we feel, is an important consideration for our community sustainability. In a severe recession, agro-residential communities will be sought-after places to live.

Initially Greenspace Alliance would like to arrange for you to meet with some small and medium local organic farmers to explore very broadly how such a concept might be developed as an option. Once the snow is gone, some experienced small-scale farmers could be invited to walk your lands, and with some tangible ideas, your team could then assess the overall value impacts and opportunities.

We appreciate that you have been very pro-active in trying to pursue thoughtful, ecologically coherent housing development. Agro-residential development is an idea that Greenspace Alliance is suggesting to you, as well as to the group proposing residential development on the other side of Hwy 5. While your two projects are "competitive" for essentially the same buying community, the possibility of both including small-scale crop farming would help to establish "critical mass" for Chelsea to be seen as an innovative agro-residential community. Cooperation and competition together are often referred to as "coopetition". If both your projects try to incorporate this concept into your plans, we think you would both obtain a higher level of overall market recognition, and several useful synergies.

Joseph Potvin
Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital
Alliance pour les espaces verts dans la capitale du Canada

Let's Talk

2008-03-09T15:27:00.001-04:00

I'm hoping that this blog will become a place where Chelsea residents - or anyone else with good ideas - can get together to provide input on the development of the Hendrick farm west of Hwy 5, south of Old Chelsea Rd. I have posted my preliminary views of what I am proposing for the development. I want to hear from my neighbours about what you think about these ideas. I genuinely believe that establishing a riding stable, employing the concepts of conservation development and encouraging a variety of housing options is the way to create an obvious buffer between us and Gatineau - never mind build an exciting extension to our already vibrant community. Thank you for your interest in this process and I hope I can count on your active participation in this open discussion. Sean

Ottawa Citizen

2008-03-09T13:14:00.000-04:00

Developer plans project with horses in mind
Says equestrian centre, riding trails fit with Old Chelsea

Dave Rogers
The Ottawa Citizen

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Sean McAdam, one of the men behind the 250-acre Chelsea Park housing development, hopes residents will give him feedback on his next project.
Unimpressed by ordinary automobile-based housing projects, a West Quebec developer is planning a 110-acre suburb for the horsey set on a former farm west of Highway 5 in Old Chelsea.

Sean McAdam, who built the 250-acre Chelsea Park wooded housing project off Highway 105, said the new community south of Old Chelsea Road will include fewer than two homes per acre built in clusters to provide as much green space as possible for riding and walking trails.

The planned "conservation development" and the 200-unit Chelsea Creek project east of Highway 5 are signs of the growing urbanization of the rural municipality. The Chelsea Creek housing project, to be built on a neighbouring farm near the entrance to Gatineau Park, will include 46 two-storey condominiums, 73 single homes, 81 units of senior citizen housing and a mixture of shops and offices.

Chelsea Creek will promote car sharing, cycling, water conservation and the use of recycled and reclaimed building materials. Vinyl siding will be banned and much of the development will have a district heating system using central ground source heat pumps.

Mr. McAdam said his unnamed housing development on the former Hendrick farm, west of Highway 5, will include an equestrian centre and riding trails throughout the neighbourhood.

"This plan is designed to protect the rural and agricultural heritage that property has," Mr. McAdam said.

"There are horses on that farm now and there have been for decades. I would like to see that heritage continue. If everybody wants a horse, that is great -- the more the merrier.

"There will be a central riding stable and a large percentage of the land will remain as green space."

Mr. McAdam said the development is intended to provide a buffer between Chelsea and the north end of Gatineau's Hull sector. The project will include two-storey units for independent seniors who want to continue living in the community.

He said it is important to have a distinction between the city and Chelsea because the rural nature of the community is one of the reasons why many people live there.

The community will include restaurants and possibly an outfitter for visitors to Gatineau Park. Chelsea Creek, east of Highway 5, is expected to have space for professional offices and perhaps a pharmacy or bank.

Mr. McAdam said he wants Chelsea residents to tell him what they think about the project by logging on to http://chelseamatters.blogspot.com/. Construction isn't expected to start until 2009.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

CBC News

2008-03-09T13:11:00.001-04:00

Developer to buy Chelsea's last large working farm

Monday, March 3, 2008

CBC News

A family has agreed to sell one of the last working farms in a village north of Gatineau, Que., to a developer.

Vincent and Gert Hendrick made a deal with local developer Sean McAdam last month that specifies that the family will be able to keep their farmhouse and four hectares of land in Chelsea, Que., for as long as they're able.

The 45-hectare property just west of Highway 5 has been in the family for more than a century, but the family struggled to maintain the farm and pay the property taxes after 82-year-old Vince Hendrick suffered a stroke 15 years ago.

"At our age … it's inevitable. We have to sell," said Hendrick, who has watched neighbouring farms being sold to developers around him and sold his own herd of cattle two years ago, but still keeps four horses.

The land formerly owned by Hendrick's brother Leo to the east is now the proposed site of the controversial Chelsea Creek development, which is to include 46 two-storey condos, 73 single-family homes and 81 units of seniors housing.

McAdam, who had been discussing the possible sale of Vince and Gert Hendrick's farm for three years, said he plans to try to maintain the greenspace and the land's farming heritage.

"I was concerned as a resident of Chelsea, never mind as a developer, that that rural heritage be protected," he told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning Monday.

McAdam is looking at putting walking, riding and skiing trails on the land and a mix of about 220 units with a range of values.

He added that he is looking at the possibility of having a riding stable on the land in order to increase interest in the development and provide an economic reason to preserve more greenspace.

However, he said he will not submit a plan until he has finished conducting community consultations through his blog.

Info on Conservation Development

2008-03-04T14:08:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple of web links to discussions of what is known as 'conservation development'. It was of interest to me that this sort of development not only preserves green space, but also has a positive effect on the water table versus conventional 'large lot' development. If you find any other links of interest, please feel free to post them. Sean

http://www.appliedeco.com/Projects/ConsDevBenefits.pdf

http://www.plannersweb.com/articles/are015.html

From the Low Down, February 27, 2008

2008-02-27T16:31:00.003-05:00

"Giddyup! Chelsea developer rides in promising housing, stables on 110 acres

http://www.lowdownonline.com/

By Nick Anning

Another 110 acres of Chelsea centre village is being primed for development, with preliminary plans in place for cluster housing, seniors housing, cultural retail outlets and riding stables.

The land in question is the former Hendrick’s Farm, west of Hwy 5, adjacent to Old Chelsea Rd., across from the proposed Chelsea Creek Estates development.
Owner Sean McAdam issued a press release Feb. 25 to announce plans to build a “conservation development” where buildings are clustered to promote greater community interaction. He says he would like a “significant percentage of the land protected as green space” and envisions the riding stables as a major feature of the development.

It is a “practical way to preserve the rural and agricultural heritage of the gateway to Chelsea,” said McAdam. “It makes economic and aesthetic sense.”

McAdam, who finalized the purchase of the land from Vince Hendrick less than a month ago, believes his development will form a natural “buffer between us (Chelsea) and Gatineau.”

While having clear views about protecting the rural sense of the land, McAdam has not finalized any plans. Rather, he says he is adopting a “fresh” approach, by asking for input from the public before formalizing any plans.

McAdam said the residential sector of the development would be aimed at a mixed target market, with prices starting substantially lower than the Chelsea market average and rising to the upper ends of the Chelsea price spectrum. He sees seniors living alongside young families and those actively involved in equestrianism.

The retail element of the development is intended to be recreational based businesses, which he said will complement the more professional commercial units targeted for the Chelsea Creek development. McAdam thinks both developments will be “entirely compatible.”

The land McAdam has targeted for development is zoned PAE (Plan d’amenagement d’ensemble or, in English, Comprehensive Development Plan) by the municipality and therefore has no prescriptive zoning rules attached to it. Paul St-Louis, Chelsea’s director general, has said developers of PAE zones must “submit us a plan,” which the municipality will consider.

McAdam, developer of the Chelsea Park residential development off Hwy 105 south of Scott Rd, said he plans to follow Chelsea’s 2005 master plan guidelines for density, which recommend two units per acre. He will also be obliged to submit water studies, sewage solutions and traffic management plans.

The land he intends to develop falls within the area targeted by the municipality for the centre village wastewater treatment system, which he intends to hook up to. “Our presence will drive down the (sewage) costs for existing residents,” said McAdam.

For water, McAdam must prove that the land can accommodate the proposed density, in terms of the draw on the aquifer, which will require hydro-geological studies.

Chelsea Creek Estates promoter Marc Shank said, Feb. 21, owners of undeveloped land in Chelsea centre village are consulting with the municipality, H2O Chelsea and engineers on a long-term strategic water management plan for the village. Shank said this is likely to be a water filtration plant, which would pump Gatineau River water to large areas of Chelsea centre village.

McAdam said the development “may well be served by having a system like that,” but there should be no expectation that any public funds would be required to put the system in.

McAdam, a Chelsea resident, has established an interactive website; www.chelseamatters.blogspot.com, where he hopes to “create an open and constructive discussion on the development planning process."

Press Release

2008-02-25T13:30:00.003-05:00

For immediate release

RIDING STABLES, EXTENSION OF VILLAGE IN PLANS FOR CHELSEA

CHELSEA – Chelsea residents may soon be able to go horseback riding in their own backyard. Sean McAdam, the developer of Chelsea Park, has announced plans to develop the Hendrick farm adjacent to Old Chelsea village. His preliminary plans include riding stables, an extension of the Old Chelsea village and a variety of new housing.

“I want to see more horses on the Hendrick farm, not less, and I think this may be a way to do it that makes sense environmentally, culturally, and economically,” McAdam said.

“I envision riding stables, a mix of more affordable and unique housing, modestly sized single family homes, and low-maintenance, non-institutional independent housing for retirees set in an environment that includes lots of walking and horseback riding trails and maximizing green space,” explained McAdam.

McAdam’s initiative is based on the planning concept known as “conservation development” where buildings are ‘clustered’ to maximize green space around them and promote greater community interaction among residents. New cultural retail outlets would extend the existing village of Old Chelsea and the walking/riding trails would encourage residents and visitors to explore the community on foot.

“This project is very much at the preliminary planning and feasibility stage, and I would like to encourage everyone to get involved in this discussion right from the outset. We are establishing an interactive website at www.chelseamatters.blogspot.com where we hope to create an open and constructive discussion and to encourage people to participate in the development planning process,” said McAdam.

“I have lived and worked in Chelsea for more than a decade and one of the things that has always concerned me is the question of how the two Hendrick farms would eventually be developed. Establishing a riding stable and preserving the maximum amount of green space allows us to keep our rural heritage and make sure there is a buffer between us and Gatineau,” said McAdam

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2008-02-25T12:01:00.000-05:00

2008-02-25T12:00:00.000-05:00