| Jul 21, 2011


North Frontenac zoning bylaw battle looms

Different players are taking different positions on issues related to a new comprehensive zoning bylaw in North Frontenac Township.

At a council meeting this week, the township heard from Ron Higgins and Jim Holton, representing the North Frontenac Lake Association Alliance.

They urged the township to go along with a recommended limited new lot size of 2.5 acres and minimum water frontage of 300 feet (the current standard is 0.9 acres and 150 feet). They also supported the idea of a 100 foot vegetative buffer between any construction and the shoreline.

These are the standards being urged on the township by the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and they have been adopted in Central and South Frontenac, but some, including members of the North Frontenac Committee of Adjustment, are urging council to resist.

The township also received a report from their Chief Building Official, George Gorrie.

Gorrie's report is not concerned with the creation of new lots, and focuses instead on the ability of existing waterfront property owners to upgrade their cottages/homes.

The way Gorrie interprets the wording proposed for the bylaw by the township's planning consultant Glenn Tunnock, fully half of the building projects competed in the township last year, for a total construction value of $1.37 million, would not have been approved under the proposed new zoning bylaw.

One of the main sticking points would be in the ability of cottage owners to demolish existing old cottages and build new ones on the same footprint.

When those cottages were built the rules were less stringent, and until now it has been possible to rebuild on the same location provided the cottages are not increasing in size.

The new wording would only permit this if the old cottage has burned down “unintentionally”, and not if it is demolished.

“A significant number of cottage renovations, additions, and the building of new cottages would be prohibited under these new regulations. These projects would add assessment value, require the installation of new septic systems, employ local builders, labourers, plumbers, insulators and electricians and create a demand for products from local building supply stores,” Gorrie said at the end of his report.

Council has requested that Glenn Tunnock respond to Gorrie's report and has asked that a representative from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing attend a strategic planning session of Council on October 28.

North Frontenac supports outdoor centre 

There was a great deal of housekeeping-type business for North Frontenac Council to deal with at their only meeting this month, which was held at the Barrie Hall in Cloyne on Monday night, and the meeting was extended well beyond the normal three-hour maximum length.

Council wasted little time finding $2,000 for a municipal contribution to the proposed Outdoor Centre at the North Addington Education Centre. In late June, two teachers from the school made a presentation to council about the centre, which will make better use of the 88-acre site on which the school is located. North Frontenac will also provide free camping for school wilderness trips to the Frontenac Parklands network of lakes and camping sites.

Library gets support, no money needed: Last month, members of the Ompah Library Users Group came to Council asking for support, and some money, to help them set up a local library now that the Kingston Frontenac Public Library has pulled services from Ompah.

In the interim a partnership has been struck between the library group and Mazinaw Online, which will lead to the provision of public Internet service during branch hours on two new computers, and at others time via wifi.

All that the library group was asking for at this time was permission to install new tiles on the floor of the branch, and that a number of people be added to the volunteer list at the branch.

The written submission to Council from the library group included a new assertion: “The library volunteers plan to continue the Ompah Community Library for the long term”.

The volunteers did ask Council for permission to make a submission to the Kingston Frontenac Library Board in the fall seeking some sort of resumption of service now that the resilience and commitment of the Ompah users has been demonstrated.

Council passed a motion of support.

Ragged Chutes Road/Lane gets gravel

Ever since 2002 or 2003, the township has not performed any maintenance on a 0.8 kilometre stretch of the road between the property owned by the Sproule family and a property that Murray and Beverley Elliott purchased a couple of years later. Although the township put up a sign after the Sproule property re-naming the road Ragged Chutes Lane, it is still a township-owned road, not a private lane.

For five years, the Elliotts have been requesting a resumption of minimum maintenance on the 0.8 kilometre stretch that the township had ceased to work on, but Council has resisted, for fear that other people living on roads that that the township classes as “unmaintained township roads” would expect their roads to receive some attention as well.

On the urging of Mayor Clayton, and Councilor Lonnie Watkins, Council decided to provide one or two loads of gravel on the 0.8 kilometre stretch, to be spread with a backhoe and rake. No township grader will be used for fear of causing damage, and the entire effort is not to cost more than $1,000. The signage will be altered to indicate that the Elliotts live on Ragged Chutes Road, not Lane.

In a recorded vote, Councilor Wayne Good and Deputy Mayor Fred Perry voted against the proposal.

Halls for Sale? - In response to a number of informal queries to Council members from individuals about the potential for community groups to purchase one or more of the five township-owned community halls, staff made enquiries to the township solicitor.

The solicitor pointed out a few issues that would have to be overcome. The first was that if a hall were sold at less than market value to a community group, the township would need some assurance that it could not be re-sold at a profit. Secondly, if sold, the halls would be subject to property tax, which would add to the already significant expenses involved in the ownership of community halls.

The township set up a task force in 2008 to consider the viability of the halls, which are a major expense in terms of operating cost and major maintenance items.

“Until now, no one has approached the township directly about buying one of the halls,” said Chief Administrative Officer Cheryl Robson, “but we should be prepared to provide all the detailed information about what they are taking on should one come forward.”

Clar-Mill Hall repairs – A repair job for the Clarendon and Mller Hall in Plevna has been awarded to Jim Boles Maintenance for $8,475. Boles' bid was not the lowest; Skelly General Contracting came in at $6,667, but the Boles bid won out because it “was the most detailed and provided favourable solutions when compared to the other proposal”. The Chief Building Officer recommended it be accepted and Council concurred.

Other tenders – The road surface treatment tender was awarded to Smith's Construction for $306,000. The job includes paving 1 kilometre of Canonto and Buckshot Lake Roads, 9 kilometres on 506/509 and 0.5 kilometres on Lodge Road. Additionally, about 1000 square metres will be paved in the works yard where the Barrie salt shed is located.

The 2011 gravel crushing contract was awarded to the lowest bidder, Gemmill Construction, for $66,105. Robert E. Young Construction came in at $69,495 and Danford Aggregates at $76,049.

The winter sand contract was also awarded to Gemmill's, for $52,756, which was better than the $61,020 bid submitted by Crains' Construction.

The bids were opened for the provision of a cab and chassis for a tandem truck. Pending consideration of the specifics of the bids by the Public Works Foreman Gregg Wise and CAO Cheryl Robson, the bid by Oakes Truck Sales of $120,820 was accepted.

Waste site fined – The township has received a small fine from Ministry of the Environment ($365) because of a missing well cap at the Fernleigh waste site. Township staff will be inspecting the test wells at all the sites, and replacing any missing caps they find. A new cap has been installed on the Fernleigh site test well.

Ompah fire hall/ambulance – A North Frontenac proposal for a 50/50 cost split with Frontenac County for the construction costs of a joint ambulance/fire hall is slated to be considered when Frontenac County meets on August 18.

Councilor John Inglis (who is a township representative to the County) suggested that North Frontenac needs a back up plan should the proposal be rejected at that meeting.

“I think there is one swing vote that will determine it and I don't know which way it will go,” said Inglis. “I do know that if the County waits until Lennox and Addington makes a decision about Denbigh and Northbrook we could be held up for two years, which is unacceptable. ”

Council is meeting on August 15, at which time Inglis and Mayor Clayton (the other township rep to the County) can take direction from Council about what they can do should the 50/50 cost sharing vote be lost.

 

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