Part 2: PEC Planning Decisions Shape Local Development - 10/18/2023
- PECConnect
- Oct 18, 2023
- 4 min read
This portion of the Planning and Development Committee meeting on October 18, 2023 focused on three separate planning files in Bloomfield and Hallowell, Athol, and Ameliasburgh, each with its own set of requests, condition changes, and council decisions. Across all three, the discussion centered on how flexible Council should be with fees, conditions, and long-term land control, while still protecting municipal interests and responding to applicant concerns.
From a housing-related severance on Corey Street, to a withdrawn application on Kelly Road, to a condition change affecting access on County Road 19, councillors weighed when to adjust requirements, when to hold the line, and how those decisions could shape future use of land in each area.
View the entire PEC Council Meeting; or view our recap.
Bloomfield and Hallowell: 27 Corey Street, Pinecrest Housing
For the Corey Street file, the applicant side spoke first. John Uings, Pinecrest Housing Treasurer, explained the proposal and asked Council to waive severance related planning fees and remove parkland related Condition 7.
The committee discussion focused on what protections exist if fees are waived or conditions are removed, plus questions about a one foot reserve concept and green space location.
On the parkland condition, Councillor Phil St Jean moved Motion 2023-530, seconded by Councillor Kate MacNaughton, to remove Condition 7 entirely, and it carried.
On planning fees, Councillor MacNaughton moved Motion 2023-531, seconded by Councillor Sam Branderhorst, to waive the planning fees associated with the proposed severance, and it carried.
On future control of the land, Councillor Brad Nieman moved Motion 2023-532, seconded by Councillor Sam Grosso, directing staff to review the existing agreement to add a condition that the municipality has the first right of refusal on any sale of land, and it carried.
After those amendments, the main approval motion for the file was moved by Councillor Kate MacNaughton and seconded by Councillor Roy Pennell, and the file approval carried as amended.
390 Kelly Road, Johnson Application and Condition Changes
For the Athol file, Paul Johnson, Applicant, spoke to the committee about the application process, said they wished to withdraw, and asked Council to waive fees associated with the file.
The committee recessed and then returned, and council debated how much could actually be refunded and what staff time had been spent.
On refunds and waiving fees, Councillor David Harrison moved Motion 2022-534, seconded by Councillor Sam Grosso, to waive the application fees and what is left on the deposit, and that motion was lost.
On delaying the decision to a future meeting, Councillor Kate MacNaughton moved Motion 2022 535, seconded by Councillor Roy Pennell, to defer the report to the next feasible Planning and Development Committee meeting, and that motion was lost.
On conditions, Councillor Brad Nieman moved Motion 2023 536, seconded by Councillor Phil St Jean, to remove Condition 10 entirely, and it carried.
After that change, the main approval motion was moved by Councillor David Harrison and seconded by Councillor Brad Nieman, approving the Athol consent file, and it carried as amended.
South of 1668 County Road 19, Kubista Application and Entrance Requirement
For the Ameliasburgh file, the applicant spoke directly to a single condition. Mark Kubista, Applicant, asked that Condition 8 be changed so the proposal could have two entrances instead of a shared entrance, citing road conditions and the impacts of a shared entrance.
The committee responded by changing the wording of the condition. Councillor Brad Nieman moved Motion 2023-538, seconded by Councillor Roy Pennell, to amend Condition 8 to require entrance permits and civic addressing for both the retained and severed lots, and construction of the approved entrances, and it carried.
With that amendment in place, the main approval motion was moved by Councillor Phil Prinzen and seconded by Councillor Phil St Jean, and the file approval carried.
What This Means for Residents in Those Areas
The votes matter because Council supported moving the 27 Corey Street housing related severance forward while also tightening its grip on future land decisions through the first right of refusal direction, which is the kind of safeguard locals tend to ask for when a project includes big future phases.
The biggest local impact is that the 390 Kelly Road severance was approved, but Council chose to remove Condition 10, meaning the approval moved ahead with one less water related requirement than staff had originally included, and that decision can shape what residents see as the County’s comfort level with conditions tied to private rural services.
The change at County Road 19 matters in a very practical way because Council agreed to rewrite Condition 8 so the severed and retained lots could move forward with two separate entrances, which affects traffic patterns, driveway placement, and what neighbours experience along that stretch of road.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:23:46. 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.
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