The Rural Voice, 1987-08, Page 19townships and municipalities creating
their own secondary plans in co-op-
eration with county planning depart-
ments and provincial law, differences
remain. In Oxford County, for exam-
ple, plans for a proposed subdivision
were vigorously opposed by Reeve
Don McKay of East Zorra-Tavistock
Township, who argued that the goals
of the community were being sabo-
taged by an idea of progress. His
argument was based on the fact that
local agricultural growing conditions
are ideal, and that the area should be
preserved for future generations. The
subdivision will go ahead as planned.
Industrial development can also be
a sore point. In Normanby Township,
Grey County, there has been a request
for a change in land designation and
zoning for a 300 -acre parcel in the
heart of picturesque country near
Ayton. The land is presently rural
with priority given to agriculture and
the environment. If the request is
approved, the zoning would allow
"dry" industrial and commercial
development ("dry," in planning
terms, means that the industry would
not require heavy supplies of water
or extensive sewage facilities).
Despite pockets of strong local
opposition, which include neighbours
of the site and the Grey Federation of
Agriculture, and despite the fact that a
plan of development for the land once
designation was approved was not
enclosed in the proposal — making it
awkward for county planners to assess
the situation — the county council has
adopted the amendment. The matter is
now before the Ministry of Municipal
Affairs, where the proposal could
receive final approval or could be re-
opened under hearings of the Ontario
Municipal Board.
The Normanby Township case
highlights a central conflict in contem-
porary rural development. Industry
brings jobs and, eventually, taxpayers,
thus revitalizing communities that
have suffered declines due to econ-
omic hard times. But such develop-
ment also brings permanent changes
to the face of rural Ontario, changes
that for some amount to a permanent
disfigurement.
In Grey County generally, says
planner Janice McDonald, severances
have been on the increase, but that
increase has involved estate lots on
the edges of towns rather than actual
farms. And the lots severed from the
estates, she adds, have not been
snapped up as hoped. In addition,
McDonald points out, it takes time for
communities to adjust to having new
residents. With more non -neral people
moving to the area, the demand to
Industry brings
jobs and, eventually,
taxpayers, thus revitalizing
communities that have
suffered declines due to
economic hard times ...
increase or improve services is
intensified. Some lots, for example,
are on roads that don't have winter
maintenance. A greater demand is
also placed on schools, and portables
must be built to accommodate a higher
enrolment.
It is important, planners say, to
consider the long-term when making
short-term decisions. The process
demands that rural communities con-
sider the delicate balance between
industry and agricultural production.
One -industry towns need to look into
welcoming more industry to avoid
dependence. In rural areas where farm
land is of premium value yet in some
cases caught in what has been a losing
battle to produce food and stay profit-
able, the quick solution is to invite
low -scale development. At public
meetings set to discuss the issues of a
... But such development
also brings permanent
changes to the face of
rural Ontario, changes that
for some amount to a •
permanent disfigurement.
secondary plan in West Wawanosh,
for example, the concensus was to
allow small industry to enter the
agricultural areas to help keep farm
families afloat.
Such changes require foresight.
Communities, notes Gary Davidson,
can find that, not having planned
adequately during the hard times, they
are faced later with insurmountable
problems. Reacting too quickly can
cause the disorientation of a commu-
nity and a confusion of goals.
In Perth County, according to
planner Theresa Eichler, severances
are up and county councillors have
been receiving a good deal of feed-
back about the problem of overpro-
duction in agriculture and consequent
low prices to the farm sector. There
have been a number of non -conform-
ing projects in rural areas of the
county, and rather than require devel-
opment to conform to the county plan,
amendments have been made to the
plan to accommodate the projects. It
remains to be seen whether making
exceptions to the rules will cause
problems down the road.
In Bruce County, particularly in
the Kincardine area where the phasing
out of the construction of the Bruce
Nuclear Power Station has meant job
lay-offs, the idea of the energy centre
has caught on. Both the town and
surrounding townships are involved in
attracting light industry that could take
advantage of the waste heat and work
with Ontario Hydro to get attractive
rates. Jerry Murphy of the Bruce
County Planning Department says the
work and innovative thinking of the
community is starting to pay off.
Another idea worth consideration
is not planning for growth but plan-
ning for improvement alone. Small
villages located away from major
highways and on dead or dying rail
lines could improve services for sen-
iors and open day-care facilities for
both village and rural families.
And Hans Feldmann of Wallace
Township, noticing that a number of
farm buildings are obsolete, has sug-
gested that municipalities might find
a way to use the buildings that would
be compatible with an agricultural
setting. "Already some farmers do a
bit of machine work and welding in
their drivesheds to make a little
money," he says. "Should we change
the zoning for these light industries or
welcome them as they are?" (If
defined as "compatible" with agri-
culture, such industry does not require
rezoning.) Feldmann also observes,
however, that an unstable agricultural
sector discourages the development of
AUGUST 1987 17