South Frontenac council - Sep. 7/10

Jeff Green | Sep 09, 2010

Sydenham subdivision unpopular with neighbours

By Jeff Green

A proposal to build 20 new houses on one-acre lots, and an eight-unit seniors’ residence on the south side of Rutledge Road at the corner of Stage Coach Road within the village of Sydenham has been wending its way through the planning process in South Frontenac and Frontenac County, and this week it was the subject of a public meeting in Sydenham.

South Frontenac planner Lindsay Mills started the meeting by explaining that the township’s Official Plan calls for development to be centred in built-up areas, which favours the project, and the fact that is can be serviced by municipal water is another factor in its favour.

“Because we have the servicing issues worked out in Sydenham, I believe we can support one-acre lots,” Mills said.

He also outlined how the KFL&A Health Unit and the Cataraqui Conservation Authority, as well as the public works and chief building officers are all on side.

“The conservation authority has some issues, but no objections,” Mills said.

The members of the public who attended the public meeting took a different view, however.

Most of the people who commented would have their backyard view of the park-like 32-acre lot altered into a view of a subdivision, which they said would have a detrimental effect on their property values.

Lorna Knight, who lives on Stage Coach Road, said that although Lindsay Mills said that an environmental assessment by Reg Genge found the proposal to be acceptable, “If you compare the proposed plan with Genge’s sketch, you will find that the proposal does not meet with Genge’s recommendations.” Knight suggested that 10 of the 20 proposed lots are located within an area that has the potential of flooding (there is a wetland on the western portion of the property).

One member of the public asked if Council would reject the proposal if there were a sustained public outcry against it.

“We are obliged to follow the procedures that are laid out in our planning and approval process,” said Councilor Alan McPhail. “What you need to do is bring objections forward in detail, and council can decide whether they are reasonable or not.”

“If all the commenting agencies are in favour, and we reject it, the Ontario Municipal Board would likely overturn our decision,” added Councilor David Hahn.

Lorna Knight then reiterated that in her view the proposal “encroaches a wetland”.

Speaking for the developer, Doug Prince from AECOM Engineering said, “The lines that we have incorporated into our proposal do not encroach on the wetland. The development will have no impact on the wetland.”

After hearing all the submissions, the public meeting was closed. All of the information submitted orally or in writing will be forwarded to Frontenac County, which has the responsibility for subdivision approval.

Then proposal will also require a rezoning process before it can go ahead.

The developer is planning to build houses in the 1,500 to 2,000 square foot range on the lots.

Garbage pickup issue erupts again in South Frontenac

A proposal by Storrington councilor John Fillion to extend door-to-door garbage pickup to O’Neil Lane in Storrington District was rejected by the majority of South Frontenac Council on Tuesday night, September 7.

Although the laneway is located near the village of Inverary next to a meat shop, the more remote laneways in Bedford District were on Mayor Gary Davisons mind as he argued against the proposal.

“I was there at the meeting about garbage pickup in Bedford Hall when someone stuck their finger in my face and said, ‘If you go down one lane to pick up garbage you’d better be going down my lane’, and he had 64 members in his lane association. So this is about more than O’Neil Lane,” said Mayor Davison.

The debate at Council took place just two weeks before door-to-door garbage pickup is scheduled to be extended to Bedford District to bring its services into line with the other three districts in South Frontenac.

The service will not be extended to private laneways, however, and Bedford residents who live on private lanes will have to arrange for a central garbage pickup point where their lanes meet township roads.

A decision was made back in March to limit garbage pickup on private lanes to those lanes that have historically received the service. According to a township newsletter on garbage and recycling pickup that was published in August, these ‘grandfathered’ lanes total about 21 lanes, or 4% of the 575 private lanes in the township.

O’Neil Lane was not one of those 21. Storrington Councillor John Fillion, who is a member of the sustainability committee that worked out the details of the garbage pickup policy, claimed on Tuesday night that he never saw a list of the lanes that would receive pickup.

“Had I seen the document O’Neil Lane would have been added with no muss or fuss,” Fillion said.

According to Larry York, the other Storrington Councilor, a resident on O’Neil Lane approached him earlier this summer asking for door-to-door pickup, which had not been the practice.

“Let me refresh your memory,” York told Council. “Garbage was being dropped of on a major road; animals were getting into it. It was a dangerous spot. So I approached John and we worked something out with the contractor.”

Fillion and York took matters into their own hands in early July. They approached the contractor who picks up garbage in Inverary and asked him to extend the pickup to houses on O’Neil Lane, which he did.

When the township got wind of what was going on, the contractor was told not to do the pickup.

This does not sit well with Larry York. “We’re here to look after people. We are not here for the benefit of management. We are not here to have a big fight over going down a laneway,” said York.

“I don’t think you understand how the township works,” said Councilor David Hahn, “Council makes decisions, not individual members of Council. If you have a concern you bring it here, you don’t go ahead and make arrangements with a contractor. There are implications to this all through South Frontenac.”

The vote on John Fillion’s motion to extend garbage and recycling pickup to O’Neil Lane was defeated in a 5-4 vote. Mayor Davison cast the deciding vote.

South Frontenac Council

By Wilma Kenny

Deadly Intersections South of Sydenham

On the recommendation of Public Works Manager Segsworth, Council approved as an interim measure the installation of ‘signage advising of an intersection ahead’ on the approaches to the intersections of Stagecoach and both Railton and Forest Roads, and Murvale Road and Forest/Murton. Traffic volumes and speeds will be measured during September to establish appropriate (permanent) signage for these intersections, where there have been two fatal accidents this year.

Fire Chief’s vehicle to be unmarked

At the Central Fire Committee meeting in September 2009, all four committee members had supported the fire chief’s request to have his vehicle unmarked when it was replaced. As the vehicle is now in the process of being replaced, Councilor David Hahn brought a notice of motion to have the vehicle in question marked as township property. The motion was defeated.

Well-fed Coyotes

Council approved provincial payments totalling $4,332 to reimburse 13 livestock kills during the last month. Deputy Mayor Ron Vandewal noted that although this was a provincial program, the township was expected to pay for the valuator and his expenses. CAO Orr said the provincial government was looking into making changes to the administration of the program.

Parkland assessment levy stands

Council denied a request to waive the parkland levy on a severance in Storrington District. The request had been based on the fact that both the severed lot and the retained one already held residences, so there would be no new development on either property.

Emergency demolition ordered

CAO Orr reported that following recent inspection by township staff, the two former change buildings at the Portland Recreation Facility in Verona are to be demolished as soon as possible. They are in serious disrepair.