The Citizen, 2016-03-31, Page 13NH council decision
goes against PPS
Continued from page 1
similar requests are all under 10
acres and zoned either AG4, AG1 or
natural environment.
Beyond that, 9,500 similar
properties in Huron County could
also cite the decision as precedent
for similar requests. She also stated
it could result in a 17 per cent
(121,000 acres) increase of the land
in the county could be affected by
potential minimum distance
setbacks created by changes.
According to Young, this
information was compiled when a
similar application was made in late
2010 which resulted in the planning
department completing the Rural
Residential Severance Impact Study.
"This is not a one-off creation of a
lot," Young said. "There are lots of
similar sizes and designations in the
county."
Young also noted that an
application to have the wording
regarding these lots removed from
the Provincial Policy Statement was
filed by agriculture organizations,
but ultimately withdrawn.
Young finished her presentation
stating that residential growth
should be directed to residential
areas in North Huron such as Blyth
or Wingham instead of going against
the planning documents listed
above.
Councillor Brock Vodden,
however, felt the documents were
created in err when it came to this
circumstance.
"A lot of the rules in the PPS, as
far as I'm concerned, are
bureaucratic and have nothing to do
with what makes sense," he said. "It
strikes me as largely a bureaucratic
decision. I can't see this property
having a drastic effect on anything. I
think we're splitting hairs here and it
doesn't seem to make sense for me."
Young explained to Vodden that
the policies in the Huron County and
North Huron planning documents
draw from the PPS which governs
planning in the province.
"It is a rule that spans the province
that residential building lots are not
be created in agricultural areas," she
said.
Deputy -Reeve James Campbell
felt North Huron should side with
the ratepayers.
"We have a couple here that have
lived [in the township] for 40 years
and raised their family on this
property," he said. "We have a
couple that wants to build a
retirement home.... Part of my
thinking is, if there are people who
want to stay in the community, we
should do our best to keep them in
the community.... The fact that we
have 9,500 lots like this in the
county shows that the upper tier
governments are taking away tax
dollars."
Campbell said he agreed with
Vodden and felt this was "splitting
hairs."
Councillor Trevor Seip said his
comments were coming from a
background that lacked the rural and
agricultural experience of his fellow
councillors, but said he was
concerned about starting a trend.
"What could we be opening up?"
he asked. "What can of worms are
we opening up by making
exceptions to policies we have had
countless discussions about?"
Seip pointed out that council had
recently reviewed its policies and
didn't feel this was the way to go.
"The conversation here is, if
Huron County is coming back as an
agricultural -driven county and we're
losing 9,500 [properties] to houses
that are designated agriculture...
what is this saying abut the nature of
agriculture in the county?" Seip
asked.
Seip said there would have to be
"extenuating circumstances" for this
kind of decision to be made or else
any of the owners of the 100
properties in North Huron could
come and ask for the same thing.
"How can we deny that?" he said.
"We have to be very clear on what
the exceptions are and what
extenuating circumstances caused
them. Those are my comments."
Reeve Neil Vincent said that
Young does "a fantastic job [of]
reading what the rules are" but said
the land being discussed was
negligible agricultural land. He
compared the situation to Grey
County where he says it is "quite
common" to see three or four houses
on 50 acres of agricultural land.
"We are competing with them
somewhat," he said. "Their
agricultural capability is not where
we are. If we are still following what
everything in the rule book says,
however, we could end up with
under 50 houses in the former
township of East Wawanosh."
Vincent said the county has lost
population every year since 1973
when the planning documents first
took effect and said changes like this
are necessary.
"This is one house that goes
against that trend," he said. "I live
across the river and I understand the
beauty of this area and the natural
setting it has and, while I respect
Laura telling us what the rules are, I
believe this is an excellent thing to
do on behalf of the township and
looking forward in the township of
having a population base."
Vincent said if this happened in a
residential area, it would be
considered "in -filling".
Council decided to go against the
recommendation of the Huron
County Planning Department and
recommend approval with the
provisions Young prepared in case of
approval.
The Kikkerts' solicitor John
Schenk stated he was glad that
council saw the issue the way they
did.
"This is an unusual situation," he
said. "I've practised here for more
than 30 years and this is unusual
because of the stream. The buildings
lots will be separated by it."
Schenk explained how the land
had been surveyed and that while the
river wasn't substantial enough to
warrant it being crown land, thus
forcing a division of the property,
the surveyor who evaluated the land
said it was substantial enough to
warrant a split on its own.
"This is a substantial creek," he
said. "You wouldn't jump, you
could wade it, but you would want to
have a bathing suit.... The land is
naturally severed"
Schenk went on to say that the
land can't be farmed and it makes a
"natural" location for a house.
Councillor Seip, prior to the vote
for the motion to recommend
approval, asked if any of the 100
lands in North Huron also had a
natural severance or if this was a
specific circumstance. Young said
that there were lands that met that
description.
The motion to recommend
approval was passed with Seip not in
favour of it.
The issue will now be before
Huron County Council at
its April 13 Committee of
the Whole meeting.
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2016. PAGE 13.
At the crack of dawn
An annual tradition, Easter Sunday in Blyth meant Living Water Christian Fellowship's Easter
Sunday Sunrise service, which this year was held behind the church along Blyth Road in the
south end of the village. Pastor Ernest Dow, left, led the service, but was complemented
musically by Gayle Poore and Rick Howson, shortly after 7:30 that morning. (Shawn Lou
gnrin photo)
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