Times Advocate, 1999-12-22, Page 44
Exeter Times -Advocate
Wednesday, December 22, 1999
Plan amendment passed...with a catch
By Craig Bradford
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
EXETER --- An Exeter couple got what they were
looking for at Exeter council Monday night after a
public meeting but with an important stipulation.
Ruth and Don Haines were granted an official
plan amendment allowing an existing trucking
operation, an existing home, two new businesses
and two accessory detached buildings to co -exist
on a piece of land southwest of the Marlborough -
Wellington streets intersection (103 Marlborough,
203 Wellington).
The land had been designated and zoned indus-
trial and the amendment changed the zoning to
permit cottage industrial uses.
The existing trucking company is Haines' Mobile
Home Express and the proposed new businesses
include a woodworking shop and a mechanic.
The catch is the Haines must do a phase II
Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) and the
property must get a "clean bill of health" as
Mayor Ben Hoogenboom phrased it
Town engineer, Goderich's ;3. Ross
and Associates, recommended the twines
conduct a phase I ESA of the whole prop-
erty to address deficiencies that included
not enough detail on the history of use on
the property. Town chief administrative
officer Rick Hundey agreed with the engi-
neer to make sure the amendment was
up to Ministry of the Environment and
Canadian Standards Association stan-
dards and added the amendment should
be deferred for more "evaluation."
The property had been used as a bulk
oil facility and in 1993 4,000 tons of earth was
removed to clean up the site by Barenco Inc.
Environmental Engineers and Contractors. No
other contaminating chemicals were looked into
during that clean-up.
Ruth Haines said they were told by their engi-
neer the general phase I step was a costly "waste
of time" and they should go right to the more in-
depth phase II that does specific testing. The engi-
neer added all they needed was a list of contami-
nants to look for.
Huron County senior planner Wayne Caldwell
said the county wouldn't stand in the way of the
amendment if three concerns were addressed.
The first and second concerns are that the most
westerly lot adjacent to the Exeter-Goderich
Railway (CN tracks) get clearance from the town's
engineer that an "environmental audit" had been
done. Caldwell said rail companies are especially
careful with such matters. The second concern
was over the Land's closeness to Nabisco and that
further residential uses so close to the factory
may not fit with the industrial designation to the
north and south.
Caldwell added the town may be liable for any
future problems at the site if the proper studies
aren't done. Caldwell also said having a phase I
ESA is common in similar circumstances.
Ruth Haines maintained the history of the site is
well known and hinted that council was simply
putting roadblocks in front of them.
"I'm getting the feeling that we are going from
one thing to the next thing to another thing," she
said.
Hundey got impatient with Haines at
that point.
"You can't do a phase II without
knowing what to look for," he said.
Haines countered not doing phase I
would save them $1,000.
Coun. Peter Armstrong sided with
Haines and Deputy Reeve Dave Urlin
moved to approve the amendment sub-
ject to the Haines doing the phase II
ESA.
Reeve Roy Triebner echoed an earlier
comment that Haines' engineer will have to do
some of the phase I work before they can do
phase II, adding that phase I is a fairly simple
step that may negate the more costly phase II
being done.
Urlin's motion passed with yays from all of coun-
cil except Triebner and Hoogenboom.
Hoogenboom doesn't vote on motions except when
a recorded vote is asked for. His not voting means
a motion with a tied vote is defeated.
"I'm getting the
feeling that we
are going from
one thing to the
next thing to
another thing."
— EXETER
BUSINESSWOMAN
Rum HAINES
Coun. Joe Hogan wasn't in attendance due to ill-
ness.
In other news from the meeting, council decided
to let Hundey's write a letter to those who have
applied for the chief building official position to
effectively give the town more time to discuss the
future of the position with Exeter's two merger
partners, Stephen and Usborne townships.
Hundey, who made the recommendation, also
got the nod to approach Guelph's Gamsby &
Mannerow, an engineering firm who has done
similar work in Exeter, to fill the position for the
town till amalgamation or till the merger partners
decide upon a permanent solution.
L./
4G�Z SefZ.' a� �ecueP�eZ� ea�;s%Gt
GST Sc PST
` (WE WILL PAY FOR YODU
F C:u'horrr Desi.,;r! air:i
f o & 1antina Bervoet- ''35-2666
the ko'iclaqs finj. you
surrounciecl L} a (owing
circle of fmI fvienci!
fou For being a part o
our circle this qearl
*Jim eckett
* Craig -3raclf orci
* Cassie Dalrymple
* -oss Haugh
*Alan H ocigert
-* David Janzen
* Am Ler Lorc
*Anita V cDonalci
* Prencla miner
* Kate V onk
* Muriel Lewis
* Scott Nixon
Ryan parker
Danielle pertschy'
Rhoda Rohc1e
* Liz Sangster
Don Smith
* Debbie Thompson
* Glen laVuertl
* Mary McMurray
* Laurel miner
*Annie Norenz
�utl�anne \egrijn
* Megan parker
* Mart.' Peters -on
* -3arL "obertson
* Sue Rollings
* Ruth Slaght
* RoLertaTempleman
* Carol