GREEN BAY—After 15 long years, developer Doug McLay is finally getting his McLay Subdivision, on the Green Bay shores of Lake Manitou, underway.
“I started this process when I was 65—I’m 80 now,” Mr. McLay told The Expositor, putting the effort into perspective. “So yeah, I had to have a little stamina to see this through,” he chuckled.
At the February 6 meeting of Northeast Town council, CAO Dave Williamson presented the two-part subdivision application agreement between Davis and McLay Developments Limited and the Northeast Town. Mr. Williamson reminded council that the subdivision is comprised of 19 lots, but Mr. McLay is only permitted to develop six lots under phase I. Over the next three years, Mr. McLay must prove that the lots’ specially engineered septic systems have not caused an increase in the phosphorous levels of Lake Manitou, which was deemed “at capacity” for new lot development by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) following Mr. McLay’s initial proposal as it is deemed a crucial lake trout lake. The at-capacity ruling was lake-wide for any new lot within 1,000 feet of the shoreline.
“If successful, he’ll be granted approval on the remainder (13) of the lots,” Mr. Williamson added.
“It’s my pleasure to finally bring this to council for support,” he said.
“You have to admire his tenacity,” Councillor Michael Erskine said. “He obviously has great belief in the project. It’s my pleasure to move it.”
Councillor Laurie Cook asked if the Ministry of Environment and MNRF would be monitoring the lake separately from Mr. McLay’s engineers over the three-year project. Mr. Williamson replied that he did not know, but that the stamped engineer’s reports will be submitted to the ministries.
Mr. McLay told The Expositor that 15 years ago, after purchasing the property adjacent to Red Lodge Resort from Tom Stringer and the Tann family, he applied for an Official Plan amendment for the subdivision. The property is accessed via Red Lodge Road, which runs down to Lake Manitou from the Bidwell Road. He’s no stranger to Island subdivisions. Over the years he has created a 50-lot subdivision on South Bay, in Assiginack, and a 40-lot extension at Kagawong’s Grandor Estates.
“The only thing I needed was the amendment, but at that time, MNRF caused the most grief,” he explained. “It was at that time the ministry froze all Lake Manitou development.”
He recalled a meeting between himself and the various ministries in a Sudbury boardroom where he asked the planner in charge, ‘just why did you decide to freeze Lake Manitou?’ The official grinned and said, ‘when we received your application.’”
It was at this time that Mr. McLay took his application to an Ontario Municipal Board hearing, which resulted in an offer that the Ontario ministries would go along with the plan for six lots with modified septic systems to be monitored over three years.
In addition to the six subdivision lots, Mr. McLay had two lots, previously severed, on the same land. Sheppard Custom Building of Rockville has built two homes there, one of which is currently occupied, he noted.
“The really big issue was that there’s four municipalities that all have control of the many, many miles of shoreline on Lake Manitou,” Mr. McLay continued, noting that the municipalities realize that development is good for the tax base. “Council for NEMI has been 100 percent behind me.”
“If phase I passes, the whole freeze is lifted,” he explained.
Mr. McLay said he hopes to see shovels in the ground as soon as the snow’s gone, this spring, on the six lots, which average an acre-and-a-half with 150 feet of frontage. He plans to again work with Sheppard Custom Building. The properties will be sold with new homes already constructed on them once his building permits are approved.
When asked about his perseverance, Mr. McLay responded, “I had no choice! I spent a lot of money on it!” A land developer on the Bruce Peninsula for 50 years, who is from the Lions Head area, Mr. McLay said he had never encountered anything quite like this.
“It’s been a long, hard struggle with the Ontario ministries, but NEMI’s been working with me and has done a great job—I can say I made it.”
