The Citizen, 2017-01-19, Page 17THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2017. PAGE 17.
Natural Heritage Plan passed despite concerns
Continued from page 1
their own legal opinion in favour of
the Crown Patent, but it was
dismissed by a handful of
councillors who felt the county's
legal opinion trumped the other.
Reid also contested the claim that
the public was not sufficiently
notified that the plan was being
considered, saying that a
consultation period will be added
once the updated mapping is
complete that will include an
additional public open house,
extended posting on the county
website, displays at the local
libraries and possibly a display at the
2017 International Plowing Match in
Walton.
She also addressed the accusation
that the plan would be solving a
problem that doesn't exist by saying
that there are a number of plans
either already in place or in the
works in neighbouring communities
like Middlesex, Oxford, Grey, Perth
and Lambton Counties.
Hill said that none of those in
attendance at the public meetings
had shown support for the plan and
that it will increase the restrictions of
private property and limit
development potential for adjacent
properties.
He also said that if the plan is
attempting to increase forest cover
throughout the county, it was
unnecessary, since forest cover in the
county had increased from 12.9 per
cent to 16.8 per cent in recent years.
He felt that the plan was an attempt
by "the takers" to overtake "the
makers" in Huron County by adding
another level of bureaucracy in a
world already rife with bureaucracy.
Some councillors had proposed a
120 -metre setback for some projects,
as opposed to the existing 50 -metre
setback. However, other councillors
said that such a change would
increase the amount of properties
affected by the plan.
Tousaw, however, stated that the
setback is not a "no -development
zone" it would be a review zone. He
said that he could only remember
about two such reviews per year over
the previous 10 years. If it were to be
increased to 120 metres the
number of reviews would increase,
he said.
When the Official Plan was
modified in 2013, the Provincial
Policy Statement dictated that lands
120 metres away from all natural
heritage features would be
considered adjacent and reviewable
for potential impact. To be consistent
with the Huron County Official
Plan, the new plan recommends that
adjacent lands in the lower -tier
Official Plans be revised to be
defined as being 120 metres from all
natural heritage features as well.
The report, however, states that it
is proposed that a consultant be
employed to develop a municipal
approach to defining adjacent lands.
Councillor Jim Fergusson,
however, said he wanted to pass the
motion as printed, but keep the
setbacks at the status quo, meaning
that it would include a 120 -metre
setback for provincially -significant
wetlands and 50 metres from all
other natural heritage features, rather
than increase all setbacks to 120
metres, as had been recommended.
The motion passed.
After the motion passed, Hill
asked to speak again, saying he was
concerned about the over -reaching
plan not for himself, but for his
children and grandchildren. He
worried that setbacks from natural
heritage features would continue to
grow.
He also reiterated his stance that
the county was attempting to
overregulate and solve a problem
that didn't exist, saying that farmers
are doing a good job maintaining
their land and natural heritage land
on their own.
Councillor Art Versteeg agreed
with Hill, but said that while 90 per
cent of landowners do the right
thing, there is always another 10 per
cent who don't, which is why
regulations like the Natural Heritage
Plan are necessary, saying he felt the
county was on the "right track" with
the plan.
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