Updates to a proposal for a hotel development in Tecumseh aren’t enough to sway the opinions of residents living near it. The Town of Tecumseh held a public meeting on Tuesday night to hear feedback on the development planned for Manning Road and County Road 42. A developer is proposing a four-storey hotel with 92 rooms, a one-storey commercial building and two drive-thru restaurants. The proposal has seen changes to its size and features, with added measures meant to address concerns about privacy, noise and lighting, after it was first brought to council last August. “So visually comparing the old layout to the new layout, you can see how the entire orientation of the site has been shifted away from the residential development to the north,” said Amy Farkas, a planner who attended Tuesday’s meeting for the developer. The plaza is now an L-shape to provide a buffer from the nearby homes, and the hotel has been moved closer to the road, Farkas told council. However, the changes have done little to ease the concerns of residents who fear their backyards would still lose any privacy. About 50 people attended the meeting, and all residents who spoke largely opposed the plans. “I think Tecumseh is blowing up and we don’t have a good control of it,” said Tecumseh’s George Jraige. Recognizing that the developer altered the plans, Christine Hardaker, who lives near the development, argued that it will still have a negative impact on the surrounding community. She said residents are worried about the added garbage, a lack of privacy, and the noise pollution. “It’s just been a big concern that is forcing some people to potentially make the decision to have to move out of the community that they lived in for so long,” she told CTV News after the meeting. Several questions were also raised about the additional safety risks a new hotel could pose. Hardaker, a mother, said she would be worried for her children and the other kids in the neighbourhood. “I just think that that is the perfect location for somebody who wants to do criminal activity. Like I said, drugs, guns, human trafficking. It’s a big deal, and I don’t think this is something we should be turning a blind eye to,” Hardaker said. The purpose of Tuesday’s meeting was to hear about the plans and ask questions, but council did not vote on the matter. Although a decision was expected in August, town staff said more time will be needed to prepare a report for council. “There were a number of points made that even with our engineers, we need to get some clarity, I think, on a few things. So, you know, our preference is that we’re just not certain when this will come back for a decision,” said Brian Hillman, Tecumseh’s Director of Development Services. The town noted residents who attended Tuesday’s meeting and signed in will receive a notification when the item returns to the council agenda.
