Part 2: Rural Land Use Decisions and Public Input in PEC - 06/18/2025

This meeting coverage looks more closely at who participated in the discussion, how motions were moved and approved, and how specific areas of the County were affected by the decisions made at the June 18, 2025 Planning and Development Committee meeting.

Parrs Lane water servicing discussion

The first application discussed under the statutory public meeting portion was Consent File No. B5-25 for 84 Parrs Lane in Athol Ward, submitted by Marla Lehberg.

The application was presented by Matthew W. Rutledge, acting as agent. Committee members asked questions about how many homes were connected to the existing communal water system and whether the system met applicable requirements.

A question about system capacity was raised by Councillor Hirsch. Staff responded with clarification about how communal water systems are defined and confirmed that the proposal did not change the number of serviced properties.

The motion to receive oral submissions for information was moved by Councillor Branderhorst and seconded by Councillor Harrison, and it carried.

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Surplus farm dwelling severance

The committee then heard Consent and Rezoning File No. B6-25 and Z4-25 for 129 Cressy Lakeside Road in North Marysburgh Ward, submitted by Drew Harrison Farms Inc. The application was presented by Jeff Wheeldon, acting as agent. No questions were raised by committee members, and no members of the public spoke. Due to a declared pecuniary interest, Councillor Harrison did not participate in this item.

The motion to receive oral submissions was moved by Councillor Prinzen and seconded by Councillor Pennell, and it carried.

Public comments and access concerns

Public comments were received for Consent and Rezoning File No. B15-24 and Z24-24, affecting lands west of 620 County Road 39 in Hillier Ward. Sheila Stene, a neighbouring resident, spoke about concerns related to the location of a proposed entrance, including dust, proximity to her property, and rural character.

The applicant, Margaret Wright, responded to the comments and explained her position. Committee members asked follow up questions to clarify how entrance locations are handled. Staff explained that entrance placement is addressed through a separate entrance permit process and that the access point discussed already exists as a field entrance. The motion to receive public comments was moved by Councillor Prinzen and seconded by Councillor Maynard, and it carried.

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The committee then voted on Consent File No. B15-24 and Zoning By law Amendment File No. Z24-24, submitted by Margaret Wright. Staff confirmed there were no additional comments, and the applicant confirmed agreement with the conditions outlined in the report. The approval motion was moved by Councillor Braney and seconded by Councillor Prinzen, and it carried.

Lot additions on County Road 24

The committee also considered Consent File Nos. B3-25 and B4-25 and Zoning By law Amendment File No. Z4-24 for properties along County Road 24 in Athol Ward, submitted by 1000025072 Ontario Inc., Thomas Mason, Eva Kralits, Brian Flack, and Susan Straiton.

The application was presented by Shawn Legere, Senior Planner with RFA Planning Consultant Inc. The agent confirmed agreement with the recommended conditions. Sam Burgess, solicitor for the applicants, was present but did not speak further.

The approval motion was moved by Councillor Branderhorst and seconded by Councillor Prinzen, and it carried.

Delegated authority items

The committee received planning matters approved under Delegated Authority By law 98 2020, including Minor Variance A6 25 and Part Lot Control Exemption B11 25. The motion to receive these items for information was moved by Councillor Prinzen and seconded by Councillor Branderhorst, and it carried. These approvals were already finalized and required no further discussion.

What Residents Need to Know

Residents on Parrs Island will not see any change in water servicing, ownership, or maintenance. The application was informational only and allows an existing easement to better reflect infrastructure already in place.

The decision on Consent File No. B15-24 and Zoning By law Amendment File No. Z24-24 affects Hillier Ward by approving a lot severance and rezoning subject to extensive conditions related to road widening, drainage, water supply studies, entrance permits, and agreements registered on title. These conditions are intended to manage long term infrastructure and servicing impacts.

For North Marysburgh residents, this confirms that the committee supported gathering information on a surplus farm dwelling severance without making a final decision at this stage. The intent is to maintain agricultural use while allowing the existing farmhouse to be used separately.

For residents along County Road 39, this means concerns about access location were formally recorded but did not result in changes to the application conditions at this meeting.

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Disclaimer This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 46:03 Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.