| May 28, 2009


Back to HomeFeature Article - May 28, 2009 Central Frontenac Council - May 26/09By Jeff Green

Township wins at OMB

An Official Plan amendment, which Council approved last year in order to allow zoning for a portable cement operation on Hwy. 7 near Arden, has survived an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).

Bob Castle, of Thousand Islands Concrete, purchased the property that formerly housed the Arden Station restaurant and gas bar after a fire destroyed the business. He proposed establishing a depot there for the cement operation.

After first saying a zoning amendment was required, Central Frontenac determined that an Official Plan amendment was necessary as well and one was prepared and approved by council.

Meanwhile there were those who complained that the concrete depot was not a desired use for the property because it is in the vicinity of cottage country. David Dashkiewicz lives on a property located 1.3 kilometres from the site in question. He hopes to establish a bed and breakfast on his property, and brought the matter before the OMB.

In his decision N.C. Jackson of the OMB concluded: “Planning on this site will not leave a blotch on tourism, such as what may have been the case of the fire swept former structure and the remaining three large fuel tanks stored on site. The result is, the board finds, good planning.”

The OMB decision remains in draft form until the township and Thousand Islands Concrete satisfy some conditions that were outlined at the end of the decision.

Township CAO John Duchene said township staff has started work on satisfying the OMB requirements, but the time frame for a final OMB approval is not yet known.

Tower meeting deferred – An advertised public meeting on behalf of Barret xplornet, a company that with funding support from Frontenac County is planning to erect four towers in Central Frontenac for wireless internet service, had been scheduled for June 8.

However, the company informed the township that they are making changes to the location of the proposed tower in the Arden area, and further that no one from the company will be available on that date.

The June 8 meeting will be cancelled and a tentative alternative date of July 8, at the Oso Hall in Sharbot Lake, has been proposed.

Legions get tax break for 10 years – In line with past practice, Council formally approved a motion to exempt the Sharbot Lake and Arden Legions from township property taxes. By the rules of the Ontario Municipal Act, the exemption cannot be extended for longer than 10 years.

Grading every two to three weeks – Roads Supervisor Matt Macdonald updated Council on some of the activities of the roads department. Macdonald said that by dividing the township up into quadrants, and keeping track of the progress of the township’s four graders, residents who live on gravel roads in the township can expect their roads to be graded every two to three weeks throughout the summer.

Speed sign bylaw not ready yet -

Councilor John Purdon said, “I was pleased to see the speed sign bylaw on the agenda, but I was less pleased when I read through some of the items, which need to be changed. For those reasons and others I move that we defer the bylaw.”

The bylaw includes a short list of roads to be designated as 40 km zones, a longer list of roads to be designated as 50 km zones, and a short list of roads, (Fall River, Mary Moore, McQuaid, Wilkinson and Zealand) to be designated as 60 km zones.

It also includes a long list, 68 roads, that are small and dead end roads. These roads are classified as “Do Not Post”

“Does that mean the speed limit on those roads is 80? You can’t make 80 on most of those roads,” said Frances Smith.

“Underlying it all is that you are supposed to drive at the appropriate speed. You are not required to drive at the speed limit,” said Duchene.

Purdon's motion to defer was accepted.

“I hope this does not mean we will have to wait another year,” said Purdon.

“It will come back in June,” said Duchene.

CF councilors won't say die on county governance

Mayor Janet Gutowski brought her council up to speed on the fact that Frontenac County Council is “stalled” on the issue of governance. (“See County Governance” on page ?)

“If there is another resolution, we would have to go to a new round of public meetings, and we just went through public meetings that were very poorly attended already,” said Gutowski, “I'm not sure if we will move forward.”

Councilor Norm Guntensperger said, “We do have the South Frontenac resolution, which seems possible at this point. Perhaps we can prod the county council to acquiesce to democracy. I would like to make a motion that Central Frontenac support the identical resolution that South Frontenac approved.”

“I would second that. It satisfies all the requirements that we came up with at the joint council meeting on May 12,” said Councilor Purdon.

Everyone on Council expressed support, leading Mayor Gutowksi to say, with a smile, “Look at that. I seem to have built a consensus here.”

Gutowski, who did not vote on the motion, then said, “I still can't get my head around this, but we'll see.”

The so-called South Frontenac proposal would see a nine-member county council, with two members from each township, including the mayor, and a third member from South Frontenac Township. 

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