A proposed long-term care home in Windsor’s Forest Glade neighbourhood is drawing concerns from residents. A public open house was held Monday evening, giving residents a chance to review preliminary plans for the development, which is proposed for four acres of vacant land on Wildwood Drive, adjacent to Seneca Park. Ward 7 Coun. Angelo Marignani said the meeting drew a large turnout, with residents raising concerns about increased traffic, pressure on existing infrastructure, the loss of green space and whether the project would fit within the character of the neighbourhood. The proposed facility would include 160 beds in a building ranging from four to five storeys. Marignani said several issues still need to be addressed. “It’s important that if anything goes there, that it first and foremost fits the community, and second, it doesn’t stress the infrastructure that we currently have there,” he said. “If it does stress the infrastructure, what is the city going to do to improve that infrastructure to prevent basement flooding, which we’re all quite familiar with in the east end?” He said the open house was only the first step in the approval process. “It was a very informative meeting. There were residents who were firmly opposed and there were residents who welcomed it,” said Marignani. “The time has come to hear what the residents have to say. Keep in mind it still has to go to the Development and Heritage Standing Committee before anything happens, especially if there’s going to be a change in height. After that, it goes to council for a final decision.” Marignani said construction is expected to take about 2½ years, creating additional challenges for nearby residents. “We’ve been through a lot with the building of the NextStar battery plant,” he said. “There was the constant noise, truck traffic, dust and the humming that we were able to mitigate. There’s a lot of development, and with that development comes negative effects, usually noise, dust and traffic. We have to look at what we can do to help our residents with those concerns.” Earlier this month, Windsor city council directed staff to enter into an agreement with Arch Acquisitions Corporation in support of the proposed long-term care home. A rezoning application is expected to go before the Development and Heritage Standing Committee by the end of 2026 before heading to city council for final approval.
