Archive

Adj–Tos approves zoning changes for proposed gravel pit

October 22, 2015   ·   0 Comments

Adjala–Tosorontio council has voted by a margin of five to two to pass zoning changes which are necessary for the operation of a new gravel pit on County Road 13 in former Tosorontio Township, north of Highway 89.
The decision last Tuesday night was opposed in a recorded vote by councillors Bob Meadows and Floyd Pinto.
Both Meadows and Pinto said that they wanted to see further reports from agencies such as the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simcoe County and Burnside engineers.
Councillor Bob Meadows, whose Ward Three encompasses the proposed web site, said that he wanted council to defer the vote until further information was available for all members of council.
In a two page letter to council, Meadows cited a dozen concerns ranging from the impact on the local water aquifer to a quantification of the benefits of the pit to the township as a whole.
“This gravel pit will result in irreversible damage to our waterways and the future of our township,” he said in his letter. “And we now are being biased making a decision without these reports,
Councillor Floyd Pinto had similar concerns about the financial benefits of the pit to the township and the additional impact on school busing, policing of speeding trucks and some issues with the legality of some documents submitted to the township.
But other members of council said that the seven month planning process had given them enough information to make a decision on the proposal.
“We can put it off another week, another month or another year but I’m quite sure it make any difference to anyone on council,” he said.
Councillor Scott Anderson said that his support of the proposal was based on the township’s long term designation of the property as “potential aggregate”
“This is a contentious issue but this is our time for debate,” he said and added that the township had already held two public meeting s to allow the public to make presentations.
Councillor Sam Keenan said that he would also would have liked to have seen further reports from the Natural Resource ministry before making a decision and asked for a deferral.
“I know which additional information is needed but I think that a deferral is needed,” he said.
Keenan said after the meeting that his vote in favour of the rezoning, after a deferral motion had been defeated, had been hard.
“Honestly, it was difficult but the legal advice that we had indicated that we would have had no chance at the Ontario Municipal Board in turning the zoning application. We’d be looking at spending $100,000 to $150,000 with no or little chance of winning,” he said.
The spectre of a long and costly legal bill also influenced Everett area councillor Dave Rose in supporting the rezoning.
Mayor Mary Small-Brett said that council had to make a decision one way or another.
“I know that some parts of this decision will be difficult but we have to get past our emotions on this issue. We have heard from the applicant and from the public at two public meetings. The second public meeting was not required under the planning act.”
Small Brett noted that the property had long been designated an “aggregate source” which would be considered at an OMB hearing.” She said that if the zoning changes were approved by the township, it could negotiate with the proponent for more stringent environmental controls, restrictions on the pit’s working hours and other areas.
The property still faces approval by the province at a separate aggregate approval process.
Opponents of the pit, who have paced the council chambers for both public meetings, were planning to meet on Wednesday, October 21, to prepare a response to council’s decision.

By Richard Blanchard

Readers Comments (0)