HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-10-11, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2012.Continued from page 1that says wind turbines do affectproperty assessment,” Melady toldcouncillors.
The studies cited properties in
Wolfe Island, Amaranth and Huron-
Kinloss, among others.
With how many wind turbines are
planned for Huron County, Melady
said, it would be foolish to think the
same scenario would not play itself
out in the area, including in Huron
East.
MacLellan said that if the
municipality could show exact data
on a decrease in property values,
they may stand a chance in
protecting residents from potential
adverse affects from wind turbines,
but the bylaw would have to be a sort
of “good neighbour” bylaw and
couldn’t deal explicitly with wind
turbines.
MacLellan said the practice is not
uncommon in other areas of
development. He used an example of
a condo building in Toronto that was
deemed to reduce the quality and
enjoyment that residents could get
from their property (an adjacent
condo building) and the owner of the
new building was forced to
recoup the existing building its
losses.
“I don’t see this as being a
problem,” MacLellan said. “It would
just be putting people back on even
ground.”
The timing of a potential bylaw,
however, was questioned, as
members of HEAT said they would
like to see a bylaw in place as soon
as possible, to precede any turbine
development.
“This needs to be in place pre-
wind turbine construction,” said
Ryan. “I think it will be a lot harder
after the fact.”
MacLellan said a potential bylaw
would have to be blanket legislation
that would cover residents if any
kind of industry or neighbour comes
in and decreases the property value
of a neighbour.
Councillor David Blaney agreed
with the intent of the potential
bylaw, but thought an actual bylawwouldn’t be necessary, saying thatsomething like causing a decrease inproperty values could fall under
“common law”.
Councillor Bill Siemon said he’d
like to see studies and situations that
wind turbines companies have
alleged exist proving that turbines
can increase the value of a property.
In addition, he questioned who could
be sued under a bylaw like the one
being suggested, asking if it’s the
companies who should recoup
surrounding property owners, or if it
should be those providing leases to
the companies.
“Perhaps they should be suing the
people who are making the money
out of this,” Siemon said.
Deputy-Mayor Joe Steffler said it
should be a bylaw that would
essentially fall under common
courtesy to your neighbours,
whether it’s in a rural setting or in
town.
Operating on suggestion of their
lawyers, members of HEAT were
planning on having low frequency
noise studies as well as property
appraisals completed on their
properties in order to establish a
current property value. This would
provide an accurate base to refer
back to after turbines have been
installed, Ryan said.
He asked councillors if the costs
that would be incurred by those
procedures would be able to be
recouped through the municipality’s
cost recovery bylaw, which is
already in place.
Ryan said they were prepared to
pay for the checks themselves, but
that they would be incurring
significant costs in anticipation of
the presence of wind turbines.
MacLellan said that would have to
be discussed with the municipality’s
solicitor.
“It’s a bit of a burden,” Ryan said.
Chief Administrative Officer Brad
Knight said he wanted to caution
council against jumping straight to
legal counsel before meeting with
staff on the issue, in order to not
incur significant legal fees.Knight said a lot of newinformation had been brought tostaff that night and staff should be
given some time to review it and
make some recommendations before
going to the municipality’s lawyer.
Councillor Les Falconer, however,
was worried about the negative
effects that such a bylaw may have,
including scaring away any industry
that may be considering Huron East
as a setting.
He said if a bylaw is in place that
would put industry on the hook for
noise or smells that neighbours maydeem to be unpleasant, it could deterbusiness from considering HuronEast as a location in the future, if it
were to be passed.
The remaining three points the
group wished to bring up, however,
were issues council felt had already
been addressed, such as credible
measurements before a building
permit could be issued.
Chief Building Official Paul
Josling had already assured the
group, at a meeting earlier this year,
that a credible property assessment
is necessary before he would signoff on any building permit, as it iswith any structure requiring abuilding permit. To prepare a bylaw
to the effect of what Josling is
already required to do by law,
MacLellan said, would be
redundant.
MacLellan said with how
“swamped” staff was at the moment,
it is likely that recommendations
would come back to council for the
first meeting of November,
which would be held on Tuesday,
Nov. 6.
HEAT members curious about cost recovery bylaw
A reunion of sorts
Members of both the Fire Department of North Huron and the Gravenhurst Fire Department
were in Goderich last week to honour the late John Black, former chief of the Fire Department
of North Huron. Black was honoured as the county’s top firefighter. Accepting the award on
John’s behalf were his brother David and David’s wife Joanne. (Photo submitted)