South Frontenac Council - January 12, 2021

Wilma Kenny | Jan 13, 2021

Two Mills, a Dam and a Biosphere…

Council received three virtual delegations requesting financial help from the 2021 budget. First up were Bob Brown, member of Save the Bellrock Mill Committee and John McDougall, president of the South Frontenac Museum Society. They asked Council to consider setting aside the sum of $60,000 with the Recreation Committee as part of its Master Plan, to be reserved for “preservation, landscaping and signage of publicly owned buildings of historical significance in the Township.” Both the Petworth Mill, which belongs to the Township, and the Bellrock Mill are in rapidly deteriorating states. Petworth needs stonework stabilization, brush and tree removal and safety fencing before it can become a small public picnic area. Bellrock, a once historic site operated as a living exhibit, had been sold to a private citizen and may soon re-enter the market. The Museum Society is proposing that with Township support, they would work in conjunction with the Bellrock Mill Committee to raise funds and direct the mill reclamation projects. Their proposal included a two-phase business plan with cost estimates.

Mary Rae representing the Fourteen Island & Mink Lakes watershed Association (FIMLA) asked for a $5,000 capital contribution to the reconstruction of the dam on the south side of 14 Island lake, and $10,000 in-kind services to clear an access road to the site. The dam, which controls water flow into Spring and Verona Lakes, was built in the 1800’s, rehabilitated in the 1950s, and last repaired in 1974, at which time the Township contributed 30% of costs. Last year, after Quinte Conservation’s inspection showed the dam to be “in fair to poor condition” FIMLA hired a consulting firm at a cost of $8,500 to recommend repair strategy and estimate costs ($140,000). FIMLA plans to resume its fund-raising (now hampered by Covid) as soon as possible.

Julie Servant, Executive Director of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Network, requested the Township’s ongoing support in the amount of $5,200 through 2021 to continue FAB’s community relationship building, program development and new project initiation. She noted that municipal support helps them secure funding from other sources such as grants.

Public Meeting

A pubic meeting was opened to hear public comments on four planning related issues.

First was an application to close and transfer ownership of a portion of unopened road allowance between Concession 9 & 10, Lot 20, known as part of Christel Lane, District of Storrington, Dog Lake. The developer’s original request had been deferred until adjoining property owners could be contacted to achieve a ‘more rational division’ of the remaining segments of the road allowance.

A second unopened road allowance is a segment crossing a large peninsula on Buck Bay, Bob’s Lake. Planning staff and Public Services staff visited the site on September 9, 2020. Public Services staff advised that they have no issues with selling the road allowance as there is no public access by vehicle or boat, and there is very little chance that a public road or boat launch will ever be feasible at this location. Notice of the proposed road closure and the public meeting has been circulated publicly and to all adjacent landowners.

The third meeting concerns an application to rezone a property on Hidden Valley Lane, Buck Lake, to recognize the existence of two residences, a rented house and a winterized cottage, on property owned by Councillor Randy Ruttan. Both dwellings were constructed in 1962. A neighbour, Scott Meskis, has said he has no objection to the existing houses, but would be opposed to any further development on the property.

The fourth proposal is to rezone 24.64 acres on Davison Road, Loughborough Lake, which has private lane access, from Open Space Zone to Limited Service Residential- Waterfront-Special Provision, to permit construction of a dwelling. The Planning department has recommended “that South Frontenac Council defer making a decision on application Z-20-15 to receive and consider peer review, agency and public comments on the application.”

Johnston Point Issues

The Development Department recommends that Council pass a resolution that they have no objection to the extension of draft plan approval for Johnston Point of Condominium by the County of Frontenac.

There are two owners of Johnson Point, and to date, Magenta Corporation has not had the authority to sign the condominium agreement on behalf of the other owner (who has refused to cooperate). As such, the Mayor and Clerk have been unable to execute the condominium agreement, and until the condominium agreement is executed, Township staff cannot complete the clearance letter and submit it to the County. Although the Judge has agreed that Magenta can sign on behalf of the other owner, the township solicitor still has not received formal documentation.

The findings of a Closed Meeting Investigation resulting from an allegation that Council had improperly held closed sessions in Oct 2016 and again July 2020, both times in relation to the Johnston Point subdivision, has been released by Council. Although there is no requirement that it be made public, the full 8-page report and recommendations can be read on the Township’s website. John Mascarin of Aird and Berlis determined that neither Council nor the Committee breached the closed meeting provisions of section 239 of the Municipal Act, 2001 or the Procedure By-law.