HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2019-07-11, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2019.
North Huron Council approved a
minor variation that will be the next
step in a new restaurant/gas bar
opening up at the south end of
Wingham, however the move did not
come without controversy.
The proposed gas station/
restaurant would be located on the
northwestern corner of Kerr Street
and County Road 86/Amberley
Road, beside Tim Hortons.
The variance allwed for 16 per
cent landscaped open space instead
of the required 20 and an increase to
the size of the permitted entrance
from nine metres wide to 11 metres,
both of which council approved.
However, that wasn’t before
councillors aired concerns about the
number of gas stations in the
community, with one proposed for
the southwestern corner of the
intersection of county roads 4 and 86
and another having opened in the
past year.
Councillor Chris Palmer asked
where his fellow council members
would want to draw a line, or if they
could, as to the number of a
particular kind of business allowed
in the community.
“We’ve got a good number of gas
stations and convenience stores,
which is good,” he said. “It
definitely offers competition for the
gas market in Wingham.”
Palmer went on to say that he was
concerned about the market
becoming saturated and the
municipality having several
shuttered gas bars.
Reeve Bernie Bailey said the
municipality’s hands are tied as long
as the developments fit the bylaws
present. He asked staff if the
municipality could change those
bylaws going forward to limit the
number of gas stations or
restaurants.
Chief Administrative Officer
Dwayne Evans said that restrictions
like that weren’t possible. He said
the market would dictate what is
feasible.
“These are business decisions that
those companies or individuals are
making,” he said. “If they feel there
is a market for another gas station in
Wingham, they are allowed to
pursue that.”
Palmer said he is still concerned
about the survivability of businesses
in the area.
Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip said
that he had aired similar concerns
with the gas station being built at the
intersection of County Roads 4 and
86, but said it wasn’t council’s place
to deal with the issue.
Seip said the business people
behind these projects aren’t going to
spend a fortune on these projects
without doing a business plan.
“It’s in their best interest to do the
market study and determine whether
the business can succeed,” he said.
Seip said his concern was the
effect these new businesses would
have on established businesses.
“These [new gas bars and
restaurants] are going to get
traffic from Wroxeter to Lucknow,”
he said. “That traffic may not
turn into the community as a result.
We need to be able to support
all of this development with
higher residential and commercial
developments.”
Seip went on to say the issue was
becoming more apparent with
forecasted migration from urban
centres to places like Huron County.
Reeve Bernie Bailey said that the
developers have been watching the
new North Huron Township Council
and realized that it is an aggressive
council interested in making
changes favouring development.
After recommending approval of
the minor variance, however, council
members did take a step back and
decide to defer the site plan control
agreement.
After approving the minor
variance, council didn’t want a
building permit issued based on a
site plan that may change as a result
of appeals which can be lodged
against the minor variance for 20
days from the date it was issued.
Continued from page 19
uniform service is delivered across
the region.”
Joudry said that when he brought
together representatives from local
BIAs about a joint application, there
was significant interest. BIAs and
chambers of commerce in Ashfield-
Colborne-Wawanosh, North Huron,
Morris-Turnberry, Howick, Central
Huron, Bluewater and South Huron
were all part of the joint application.
The Goderich BIA had already
applied and received a grant, but
agreed to work collaboratively
through the program. It was just the
Seaforth BIA, Joudry said, that was
uninterested in the program.
Council approved Joudry’s
recommendation, giving him the go-
ahead to roll out the program
locally. He said he is under a very
tight timeline due to the funding
requirements.
Leo Club close to its goal
New Wingham gas bar concerns councillors
For all the glory
The Clinton Raceway was again a busy place to be on Sunday as much of the town celebrated
PlucKin Fest over the weekend. Complete with a firefighters’ breakfast, a ball tournament and
the Clinton Kinsmen’s annual elimination draw, it truly was a weekend with something for
everyone. The exclamation point at the end of the weekend, however, was the races at the
raceway, which took place on a bright sunny day in Huron County. (Quinn Talbot photo)
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The Brussels Leo Club is
continuing on the path to
reinvigorating the playgrounds in
the village and members are very
close to their goal.
Leo Club leader Zoey Onn of the
Brussels Lions Club says the club
has raised over $6,000 on its way to
replacing the playground equipment
at the Brussels Conservation Area.
Onn said the club hopes to have
the wheels in motion by early
August so the new equipment can be
installed in September.
While the Leos had hoped to
potentially put a splash pad near the
Brussels Pool, that part of the
project has been put on hold until
further research can be conducted.
The Leo Club had hoped to raise a
substantial amount of money to put
towards the project at their
MuchMusic video dance over the
weekend, Onn said. They are also
continuing their weekly barbecues at
the Brussels Farmers’ Market.
The Leos’ fundraising efforts
continue with the hopes of
improving the community with this
project later this summer.
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