HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-04-22, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2010.County’s official plan up for discussion in MayHuron County’s official plan willbe up for discussion at a specialmeeting on May 3 in Clinton.
After lengthy discussion at the
last two meetings of the committee
of the whole, councillors voted to
hold a special meeting where only
the five-year review of the official
plan would be discussed.
The main sticking issue was
surplus farmhouse severances and
what date would be implemented
in order to both encourage people
to move to rural Huron County and
preserve the county’s agricultural
roots.
The tug-of-war on the issue has
been between councillors who feel
residents who want to live in the
country, but not farm, have been
hindered in recent years by Huron
County’s rules and those who feel
that the county’s agriculture will be
compromised if severances would
be allowed on houses built less
than 25 years ago (on a rolling
date).
Wayne Black, president of the
Huron County Federation of
Agriculture, was at the meeting to
discuss his organization’s take on
the issue, saying that all the while
they had recommended a 25-year
period, so he was surprised to seethat a 10-year period had beensuggested by councillors.He said that while half of theorganization voted for the rolling25-year period that council was
considering, the other half opted to
stay with the date of June 28, 1973.
He said there was “no support,
whatsoever” for the 10-year period,
after which, he asked council
where the 10-year period came
from and how it crept into the draft
official plan.
Councillor Joe Seili has said all
along that Huron County’s
stringent rules regarding rural
dwellings are the reason that rural
schools are being closed by the
Avon Maitland District School
Board.
“If we began allowing
severances, we might have some
rural schools left, leaving a good
chance that a young family might
move in,” Seili said. “That’s why
we’re losing our township schools.
There are no houses, so there are
no students.”
Seili then asked Black what his
opinion on the closing of rural
schools in Huron County was,
saying that it was a one-or-the-
other argument.
“Is the federation in favour of the
closure of township schools?” he
asked. “Because if it is, that’s fine,we’ll give up the fight.”Councillor John Bezaire said hewas confused about what thediscussion was actually about,asking if council is attempting to
protect agriculture as a means to
make a living or as a lifestyle
choice, saying that should
determine how the rest of the
discussion should play out.
“Are we trying to protect a
lifestyle decision or the right to
earn a living? Because in many
sectors, it’s a lifestyle decision, not
a means to earn a living,” Bezaire
said.
Seili said that the county was
interjecting itself too far into
peoples’ lives, saying that these
rules are telling people what they
have to do with the property they
own.
“We’re getting into peoples’
rights to do what they want with
their property,” Seili said. “Close
up your rural cities, but let us know,
so we can move out quick.”
In addition to Seili feeling that
council was infringing on peoples’
property decisions, councillor Neil
Vincent felt that the public had
spoken after lengthy consultation
and to change it now, would be
unfair to ratepayers and
people who took the time to
have their say.“The planning department didthe work and they compiled whatthe public said in all of themeetings,” Vincent said. “We haveto take responsibility. If we’re not
going to go by the consultation, we
have to say that county council
makes the decision, no matter what
the public says.”
Councillor Bernie MacLellan
made a motion that the number be
changed to 15 years, which he said
seemed like a happy medium
between 25 and 10.
The date was changed to a 15-
year rolling date and will be
implemented in the official plan
before the special meeting on May
3.
The special meeting, however,
came about because of concerns
that councillor Dave Johnston had
with how the “public input” portion
of the process had been carried out.
Johnston said he had over a
dozen concerns that his council
(Bluewater) had written out and
submitted, receiving no feedback
on them whatsoever.
Huron County director of
planning Scott Tousaw said his
department was in a difficult spot,
in that he didn’t want to alert those
who had submitted concerns before
the plan became finalized, but that
after they had been finalized,council could change the plan, butit would be difficult.Tousaw used the example of thefarm surplus severances, sayingthat when the plan came to council,
it had listed a 25-year period,
which would have resulted in
Black not coming to speak to his
organization’s interests.
However, when the process was
finished and it had been changed,
he would be upset at not being
notified.
Johnston’s concerns will be
circulated to every member of
Huron County council and
addressed at the May 3 meeting.
Johnston called the lack of
correspondence between the
planning department and those
who took the time to submit their
concerns “unacceptable”.
Tousaw said approximately 15
people, in addition to councillors
and service groups had submitted
comments and they will all be
notified of the special meeting on
May 3.
Tousaw said that between
Johnston’s issues and the other
issues brought forth by the public
and other service groups, council
will be tackling approximately 60
issues with the official plan at next
month’s special meeting.
By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen
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Tour opens REACH to kids
The first ever Regional Equine
and Agricultural Centre of Huron
(REACH) Kids Open House will be
held on Saturday, April 24.
The centre will be open from 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. and children will be
able to meet the REACH horses,
take a tour of the centre and enjoy
some refreshments.
The day will also be full of
activities and demonstrations
throughout the centre that will
interest the whole family.
REACH will also be holding a
number of summer camps
throughout July and August.
On July 5 - 9, the first “Own A
Horse” camp will be held for
children in Grades 6 and 7, on July
12 - 16, the Agricultural Experience
camp will be held for children in
Grades 6, 7 and 8 and the second
“Own A Horse” camp will be held
for children in Grades 7 and 8 on
July 19 - 23.
A youth day camp will be held on
July 26 - 30, Art In The Country
will be held on August 9 - 13,
Culinary Day Camp will be held on
August 16 - 20 and another youth
day camp will be held August 23 -
28, all of which are for children
ages 10 and up.
For more information on
REACH, visit its website at
www.reachhuron.ca.
Local talent brings Wedding
Adventure to Blyth stage
Brad and Gail want to get
married. So, what could go wrong?
In a word: everything.
The Foundation for Education
will be bringing the
comedy/musical Brad and Gail’s
Fabulous Wedding Adventure to the
Blyth Memorial Hall stage on April
29, 30 and May 1.
The event is a fundraiser
supporting in part the Foundation’s
Artitudes programs.
Designed by the Foundation to
enrich curriculum for all grades,
Artitudes is a collection of arts and
culture programming that brings
140 workshops to over 5,000
students in the Avon Maitland
District School Board.
Written by Huron County
playwright Rob Bundy and directed
by Duncan McGregor this
production is a three-night-only
event starring a who’s who of talent
stretching from the Huron heartland
to the outposts of North Perth.
Cast members include Dennis
and Laurie Nuhn, Rob Bundy, Nisa
Howe-Lobb, Steve Cook, Tom
Dean, Vicki Gerth, Gary Clark,
Sarah Koopmans, Suzanne Daniels,
Arlene Darnbrough, Kevin
MacDonald and Eric Lubbers.
Brad & Gail’s Fabulous Wedding
Adventure is playing at 8 p.m. each
night and the wedding feast, on
April 30 and May 1, commences at
6 p.m.
Tickets for the show, as well as
the feast, are $40 or $25 for the
show only and can be purchased
through the Blyth Festival box
office at 519-523-9300 or 1-877-
862-5984.
Reservations can also be made by
contacting the Foundation for
Education at 1-800-592-5437,
extension 239 .
For more information, visit:
www.foundationforeducation.ca
No, not that Lobb
Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb dons the mantle of an
auctioneer for the Huron-Perth Alzheimer Society’s auction
at the Clinton Legion on Saturday, April 17. The event
featured a silent and live auction.(Denny Scott photo)