HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-07-25, Page 1CitizenTh
e
$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, July 25, 2013
Volume 29 No. 30
NEW CHIEF - Pg. 13Blyth’s David Sparlingnamed new fire chief FESTIVAL - Pg. 23 ‘Garrison’s Garage’ and‘Prairie Nurse’ comingSPORTS- Pg. 8Five locals heading tonational tournament
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0
INSIDE THIS WEEK:
Blyth’s 14/19 announcement coming this Sunday
Changes coming to
NH official plan
Just trying to have a little fun
The annual Blyth U8 soccer tournament was held at the Sparling’s soccer fields just south of
Blyth on Saturday. Organizer David Sparling says the tournament originated in Clinton, and
when it couldn’t continue in Clinton, Blyth took it over. Sparling said the weather was “perfect”
for the tournament in which each team played three games for fun. There was no winner, but
the tournament hosted 10 teams consisting of 135 players. Here, a young Blyth player, right,
attempts to make her way around the Teeswater defense. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
There is a curiosity building
through the Blyth, and North Huron
communities, that is associated with
the term 14/19.
For the last four weeks banner
advertisements, sponsored by
Sparling’s Propane, Elliott-Nixon
Insurance, the Blyth Lions Club and
the Blyth Legion and the Legion
Ladies Auxiliary, have graced the
front page of The Citizen, something
that has never before been done,
featuring the numbers 14/19 and the
corresponding date of July 28 (this
Sunday).
Blyth Festival Interim Artistic
Director Peter Smith calls the
impending announcement “county
wide, country wide” and adds that
the date of July 28 was chosen
for a reason that is near and
dear to the heart of Memorial
Hall.
While the project, which has been
cloaked in secrecy until its release
date of July 28, will encompass the
entire community of Blyth, Smith
says it will spread even further,
impacting all of Huron County, and
the entire country.
The announcement will be made
in front of Memorial Hall on July 28
at 2 p.m. It has been a collaborative
effort, Smith says, among the
Blyth Festival, the Blyth Lions
Club, the Blyth Legion and
Legion Ladies Auxiliary, as
well as Blyth business owners
and stakeholders, that he hopes
will continue in the community
years to come.
As the advertisements have read
“Be part of it” come out to hear this
ambitious announcement on July 28
in front of Memorial Hall that could
change the face of the Blyth
community forever.
North Huron Township Council
members are working on their
official plan and, with a meeting set
for earlier this week, they are
preparing to roll out the changes to
the public.
During its council meeting on July
15, council addressed some of the
major changes that are being
included in the official plan and
listed, as examples, second
residence policies, the
intensification of residential areas
and, what was called one of the most
popular changes by Huron County
Planner Sally McMullen, surplus
farm residence severances.
“It’s definitely going to be one of
the biggest topics we will have up
for discussion,” McMullen
explained.
Many of the changes in the
document, according to what was
presented during the council
meeting, focus on creating more
affordable living opportunities in the
area.
The surplus severance policy will
allow farmers to sell houses while
continuing to work the farm the
house is attached to, which will keep
tax dollars in the area by not having
the house demolished and the land
turned into farm land.
A second residence policy will
allow homeowners in residential
areas to rent out either a second unit,
accessory building or attached
building out to create more
affordable housing.
This would mean that people
could renovate areas like their
basements to create apartments and
increase the population density of
the area while creating new revenue
sources.
“This is a province-wide change
we’re required to put into our zoning
bylaw,” McMullen explained.
“We’ll be establishing zones where
these kinds of changes can happen.”
Also to be changed are issues
surrounding aggregates like gravel,
which McMullen said would require
work to establish possible sources
and plans to protect them for future
use as well as some community-
wide, county-wide and provincial-
wide policy changes to things like
implementation of official plans.
The hot topic, however, was the
surplus severance policy, and it
seems everyone was on the same
side.
Both farmers and people
interested in purchasing surplus
houses spoke to council and
everyone seemed anxious for the
policy to be enacted.
McMullen explained that there are
several circumstances that need to
be met for a farm to be considered
surplus.
The land must be demonstrably
owned by a single person or body,
the house must be at least 15 years
old, retain surrounding land of a
certain size and leave the farm with
at least 48 acres of land, have a
special designation put on the
remaining farmable land so that a
house could never be constructed on
it again and meet minimum distance
setbacks with neighbouring
livestock, though McMullen said
that any livestock operation under
100 nutrient units (approximately
100 cows or horses) would likely be
Be part of it. 7.28.13
AD SPONSORED BY
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Continued on page 7