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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2004-02-18, Page 22 Exeter Times -Advocate Wednesday,February 18, 2004 Proposed subdivision moves to next step Continued from front page requirements concerning roads, installation of services, drainage and water and sewage. Concerning the first and second readings of the zoning application, Morley said there is nothing "illegal" or in the municipal official plan to stop the project. "Had we said 'no', and (the developer) took us to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), we would have lost," he explained. "That's saying it very bluntly, but that's exactly what would happen." Once the special meeting was over, Morley said he spoke to the concerned neighbouring property owners in the gallery and explained why council made the deci- sion it did and what would happen next. "I tried to explain the best I could that there wasn't any legal way we could stop (the developers)." Once the county makes its final decision on the plan of subdivision, Morley said those against the project can make an appeal to the OMB. As previously reported, the Snider residents submitted several issues about the project to council, including drainage. John Hagarty, who spoke on behalf of the group at an earlier council meeting, said the plan was- n't well thought out and he objected to the type of homes planned for the subdivision — multi -unit dwellings. He said he and his neighbours were misled years ago when they were told future development would only include single -dwelling homes. Morley, though, said the land in question wasn't spo- ken for in earlier phases of the development. Huron County planner Claire Dodds -Weir said the municipality just learned about the project in November and no plan had ever been approved in the past to make that prop- erty for single -dwelling units only. In addition to a petition objecting to the project, signed by 19 of the 20 households on the street, several letters of objection were submitted to the municipality. Morley said the municipality will look at third (and final) reading of the zoning application after the plan of subdivision is done. Lucan Biddulph council hears presentation from UTRCA By Mary Simmons TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF LUCAN — Lucan Biddulph council heard a presentation from the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) at its meeting Monday night. General Manager Ian Wilcox told council next Thursday is the UTRCA's annual meeting where the board will vote on the bud- get. Wilcox said the authority is made up of 17 member munici- palities, 15 of which are on the board and 11 which make up the levy. He said UTRCA was formed in 1947 at the request of the municipalities and has 62 per- manent staff and 80 seasonal staff. The municipalities contribute approximately one-third of the conservation authority's rev- enue. Another third comes from fees and the rest comes from sources such as federal and provincial funding. The request on this year's pro- posed budget is for Lucan Biddulph to pay $3,964, a 5.2 per cent increase. Overall, a 3.7 per cent increase is proposed for the general levy. Wilcox said the reason Lucan Biddulph's portion is higher is because the municipality was assessed higher than other municipalities in a provincial formula. Wilcox spoke about the Clean Water Project, which offers grants to landowners for stew- ardship projects in the water- shed. The project began in response to the province's Healthy Futures program and is also funded by member munici- palities at the county level. Wilcox said a total of $85,300 in grants were used in Lucan Biddulph with work value on projects of $236,700 for a total of 25 projects. He said although the provin- cial funding has run out, the conservation authority is trying to continue the program through municipal funding. Wilcox also spoke about impending source protection planning legislation which is expected to be tabled this spring. The legislation is in response to the Walkerton Inquiry recom- mendations. Conservation authorities will be responsible for identifying drinking water risks through an understanding of water quality and quantity. Municipalities will participate in the plan's development through key aspects of imple- mentation through official plans and zoning bylaws. Granton motocross County Planner Ted Halwa spoke to council about his report on the temporary rezoning bylaw for the Granton motocross track from the Garrett family. Halwa said council has three choices. It can refuse the appli- cation, grant it with certain con- ditions or send it back to the Garretts and let them re -submit with changes. Halwa outlined the conditions made in the report. He suggested granting the family a one season permit rather than the three that is allowed in the terms of a tempo- rary rezoning bylaw. He said this should be a reasonable amount of time for council to be able to make a more permanent decision. He said the Garretts should also have to confirm the date and time of any meets and give notice so anyone in the area wishing to make alternate plans has plenty of time to do so. Halwa said they should also be applying to the health unit for permits if they plan on continu- ing to serve food during the meets. Halwa also set out a schedule Council hears budget proposals By Pat Bolen TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF Industrial 4 by 4 Tractor and loader at a cost of $80,000. VARNA — Draft bud- Fisher also presented gets were presented to council with a list of Bluewater council proposed construction Monday night by depart- work for the next five ment managers in years and estimated advance of upcoming costs including: budget deliberations. • 2005 -Pave 8 km on Public works manager Blackbush Rd. -Huron Ross Fisher presented County 83 to Huron his proposed budget County Rd. 84 $313,500 with total expenditures •Replace culvert on of $2,106,100 minus Lidderdale and raise revenues of $181,500 road $82,000 for a 2004 municipal •2006 -Reconstruct share of $1,924,600 an Lidderdale and Crystal increase of $213,200 Springs $210,000 from 2003. •Reconstruct 1.8 km Equipment purchases on Kippen Rd intended for 2004 $125,000 include a new grader at •2007 -Pave Crystal a cost of $315,000 with Springs and Lidderdale an estimated trade-in plus 1.8 km on Kippen value of $25,000 for a Rd. $280,000 total cost of $290,000. •Reconstruct The Also on the list for Square (depending on purchase is an water lines and drainage $115,000 roof." •2008 -New Shed Chief building official $750,000 Milt Dietrich presented •2009 -Reconstruct the protection to per - Brock St. $250,000 sons and property bud - •Reconstruct Blue get with expenditures of Bluff $160,000 $835,668 and revenue Fisher said he was not of $185,855. basing the figures for The enviroment bud - his budget 011 a percent- get was presented with age basis, "but by what total expenditures of the public is demanding $524,180 on revenues of of us." $287,145. He added he presented Expenditures for the the long term items to Hensall landfill site are give council the chance the biggest increase, up to start thinking about from $74,820 in 2003 to options, saying the Hay $133,990 this year, shop was "pretty well based on what Fisher toast and some time described as "major you'll have to make work to be done this decisions." year." Coun. Joshua Council decided to set McClinchey asked if any March 12 for a budget preventive maintenance meeting starting at 9 could be done on the a.m. Hay shop. Fisher replied "if you want to spend about $40,000 on a Crediton/Centralia sewer project update Continued from front page to property taxes for all properties in both villages. He said if the money isn't used for part of the study this year, it will be returned as a tax credit. Budget time It's that time of year again — time for municipal staff and councillors to work on the municipal budget. Council has set a special Feb. 26 meeting to hammer out the details and discuss taxation for 2004. Cable concerns Coun. Jim Dietrich expressed con- cern about two payments made out to TV Cable in the municipality's Feb. 16 accounts report. TV Cable charges of $34.31 and $39.94 were paid for cable services in the Stephen Township Arena. Dietrich asked if having cable in the arena was necessary. The matter will be looked into. Cruisin' During the `councillors' reports' portion of the meeting, Deputy Mayor Dave Urlin said a cruise ship carrying 100 passengers is slated to dock in Goderich three times this summer. He said cruises in the Great Lakes are increasing and seen as an untapped market. He added it could be good for South Huron to try to attract the passengers to the area during their time on shore. In 2005, Urlin said there could be as many as five different cruise ships touring the Great Lakes. of practise which would take place Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. No use of motocross bikes on the property would be permitted by anyone outside of that time period except for on the one day a month when races were scheduled. Entrance to the track would also be restricted to include access from Observatory Line only. Dust treatment measures would also have to be taken by the Garretts. Halwa said trespassing signs and flags should also be posted along the perimeter of the prop- erty. Since council only received the report Friday, it decided to defer and distribute the report to interested parties and return to council where a decision will be made on the issue at the March 1 meeting. GGBCA hears about lagoons By Mary Simmons TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF GRAND BEND — At their meeting Feb. 13 the Greater Grand Bend Community Association (GGBCA) board of directors heard from Terry Rand, the project manager of Operations Management International (OMI) for the lagoons in Lambton Shores. Rand said the lagoons are dumped twice a year with the knowledge of the Ministry of the Environment which comes to test the discharge after the dump takes place and makes full inspections once every three years. Rand said the dumps take place in the spring and fall. The raw sewage and the discharged effluent is tested for biochemical oxygen demand (BODS) sus- pended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus. Rand said the results are usually lower in the warmer months because more organic matter decom- poses in the warmer water and algae growth will decrease the levels of phosphorus and ammonia. He said the lagoons are dumped into the river which flows into the lake. Grand Bend has four lagoons, two of which are filled for six months at a time. Rand said increased wave action will help aerate the water and result in lower levels and the sun also helps to break down the matter. Rand said the municipality is thinking of upgrading to the New Hamburg system of lagoons and he would strongly recommend that action. He said the system includes aerated lagoons that can be operated rela- tively inexpensively. He said the cost to upgrade the system will be approximately $4 million, roughly the same as build- ing a waste water treatment plant, but operational costs would be approximately $40,000 a year while the plant could cost as much as $150,000 a year. Rand said OMI is not required to test for E.coli. "We do test for it, we're just not required to report it," he said. He said the levels found in the discharge are often much lower than levels found in the lake. He also said the lagoons are cleaner than the river.