We got our first glimpse of the Precinct K plan on Monday. A new public street, let’s call it Smith Farm Road, will connect the future Precinct K Southside Drive extension to the Seine River. It will provide access to a small residential bay of R1-E homes on the old Smith Farm homestead. A new linear City park, including Smith Farm Coulee, will encircle the new homes.
Both 275 Creek and Creek Bend Retreat (245 Creek Bend) will adjoin new City streets, allowing for the eventual extension of full utility services to both R5 properties.
A future Smith Farm Road extension going southwards to Creek Bend Road would allow for the servicing of Creek Bend Retreat’s seven 70-foot lots. It would not allow for the servicing of the River House and the Forest House lots.
At this time Qualico does not anticipate the servicing of Creek Bend Road properties west of the new Southside-Creek Bend intersection. Qualico believes that eventual servicing of rural properties between Southside and the Creek Bend Road bridge could not be done as a Local Improvement, but would need a developer to execute.
Qualico did not give an exact timeline. If City approvals happen this spring as anticipated they may “move dirt” for pond construction in late 2026. Phase 1, ostensibly east of the railway tracks, will begin residential construction in 2027.
If the anticipated servicing reports from WSP recommends it, a Phase 2 west of the tracks (South Royalwood) would occur at a later date.
The provided land use plan does not show any Active Transportation trails along the Seine River. When asked, Qualico said that more investigation of potential access points over the Smith Farm Coulee lowlands still need to be done. They have chosen to not put in their best guess of the trail layout at this time. That does not negate the fact that they are legally obliged to eventually construct the trail.
The park layout as shown would allow for the eventual construction of “The Path” at Creek Bend Retreat to join the Qualico trail. The Seine River park plan as shown fulfills Qualico’s legal obligation, as defined by the Precinct K area structure plan. It may not, as in the case of the Bois-des-esprits forest to the north, become the beating heart of the community. Perhaps the effect of the addition of new riverside parklands in Precinct K is cumulative. It will need the addition of parkland from both Creek Bend Retreat and the Sampson Lands in the north for the linear park to fulfill its original promise.
Addendum
The plan as shown shows a new infrastructure element, a “dry” retention pond, in South Royalwood. Luxury home builders have become quite used to offering new homes with walk-out basements overlooking bull rushes found in a conventional “wet” retention pond. This will need further research by the custom home builder community.
The urban Seine River has always depended upon the kindness of strangers. Runoff from suburban retention ponds charge the Seine River valley in the spring and provide vitally needed water flow in dry periods. Quickly removing water from the area by means of a dry pond does not provide long term relief in drought conditions in the Seine River valley. Also, dry ponds provide lesser quality filtering of sediments. This merits further research by Save Our Seine.
Also, the tree line extending from the coulee by the river towards the CPKC Emerson line does not merit preservation in the new map. Qualico says that it is not allowed to invite residents to approach an active railway line that does not have a controlled at-grade crossing.
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