South Frontenac Official Plan – Finish Line Finally In Sight

Jeff Green | Jun 07, 2023

After a long process that has spanned over 2 years, the final statutory public meeting for the South Frontenac Official Plan took place at the Sydenham Town Hall in the format of a council meeting.

The meeting was similar in many ways to open houses that were held in Verona and Sunbury in recent weeks, but the written and oral comments that were made in case by council members and the public were formally received by the township, which is relevant if any appeal process is launched once the plan is adopted.

The meeting began with the same staff and consultant presentations about the details of the plan as took place in Verona and Sunbury, led off by Director of Development Services Brad Wright.

Comments by Council members followed.

Deputy Mayor Sleeth raised two issues. He said “the proposal in Bill 97 to allow 3 severances in prime ag lands is something that I question because I wonder what that is doing to the idea of protecting agricultural lands in our township.”

His second point related to the prescribed 0.8 hectare (2 acre) lot size, which is the standard in the township, within the settlement areas, which are projected to be the target of 50% of the population growth in the township.

“The way our hamlets are set up already it is going to make it very difficult to develop on 2 are lots,” he said.

Mayor Vandewal echoed Sleeth's comments on two acre lots, but he did not limit his critique to the hamlet areas.

“I don't know why we have 2 acres as the standard size for lot creation,” he said. “As long as a lot can accommodate everything, a house and septic system, and satisfies all of our concerns about runoff and everything else, why does it need to be 2 acres, why not 1 and a half or some other size. Why do we need a whole process every someone wants a smaller lot.”

He also said that he has found “the official plan process somewhat frustrating. We don't have the input that we would like to have as local politicians because of provincial control over what we can and can't do, and the province says one thing one day and something else the next day. Unless we can do something about lot size, I;m having difficulty seeing how I can support this.”

A number of members of the public raised some specific concerns.

Nancy Myers said that while the 9 trout sensitive lakes in the township have special protections from development, she wanted to know what protections there are for other lakes.

Jerri Jerreatt asked if the township owned any land in Inverary that could be used to create a village like, walkable atmosphere like she sees in Sydenham and Verona.

Daryl Neve from the Dog and Cranberry Lake Associations said that while she likes a lot of what she sees in the document, it is lacking any mention of the need for a mandatory septic inspection program to ensure older systems don't create environmental concerns.

Roger Romero, also of Inverary, said the plan needs some measurable targets in order to determine if it is achieving its goals over time.

There was also concern raised by one landowner whose land is set to be designated as prime agricultural land even though his family has owned the land for over 25 years, has never farmed the land and does not intend to, but will be facing restritions. Another person asked about a about a back yard chickens bylaw.

Mayor Vandewal answered the question about backyard ckickens, saying it is not something for the Official Plan to deal with, but can be tackled as part of a Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw review.

Senior Planner Christine Woods took notes during the question period, and provided some preliminary responses to some of the questions.

“It's great that I was the one that is answering the questions,” she said.

“As far as Bill 97 and lot creation on Prime Agricultural Lands, “I heard Premier Ford on the radio saying 'oops, we'd better rethink that' after all of the farm organizations have come out against it, so we'll see where that goes.”

She said that the boundaries for Prime Agricultural lands are subject to provincial guidelines and can extend beyond areas with Class 1, 2, and 3 soil conditions, and that the prime ag parcels need to be 250 hectares in size (617 acres) although the shape can vary.

As for the lot size of 2 acres, she said that was based on a principle of protecting the water table.

“To create smaller lots, hydro-geological studies are necessary as a protective measures, but that is an option for people wanting to create them.”

She also said that the expectation is that planning staff will report back on progress over time, and that some of the other questions will take more time to answer.

After a couple of other comments from members of the public, Councillor Randy Ruttan said that, in his view, council and staff have done as good a job on the official plan as they could, given provincial constraints.

Former Councillor Fran Willis made what turned out to be the final comment from the public, by saying, “I remember a professor of mine once saying 'it is like the province is the parent and the municipalities are the child'. It is that sort of relationship and I share your concerns.”

Brad Wright said that staff will take the comments into account and will further consult with the township's Heritage and Lake Eco-Systems Committees before returning with a final draft of the plan for township approval in the fall. One approved by the township, it will go before Frontenac County Council for final approval.

Mayor Vendewal reiterated that he has reservations and is not necessarily going to vote in favour of the Official Plan, but none of the other councillors have indicated how they intend to vote. Approval requires a simple majority among the 9 member council.