Part 1: Council Grapples With Rezoning Deferral and Rural Consents – 05/15/2024
- PECConnect
- May 15, 2024
- 3 min read
The County Planning and Development Committee met on May 15, 2024, to consider several planning applications under the Planning Act, including a contested rezoning request and two consent files. The meeting was held as a hybrid session, with councillors gathered in Council Chambers at Shire Hall and others participating electronically. The meeting was chaired by Councillor Brad Nieman (Bloomfield/Hallowell), who guided the committee through a focused but detailed agenda.
The committee began with routine procedural steps, confirming the agenda and noting that there were no disclosures of pecuniary interest. With those items out of the way, the meeting moved quickly into its statutory public meeting portion, where applications requiring public input were considered.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>
Rezoning Request on County Road 24
The most detailed discussion of the evening centred on Zoning By-Law Amendment File Z4-24, involving a property at 1601 County Road 24 owned by Thomas Mason and Eva Kralits. Planning staff confirmed that the applicant was present and that staff had no additional comments beyond the written report.
Speaking as the applicant, Eva Kralits requested that the committee pause its decision. She explained that discussions were underway with neighbouring landowners regarding a potential real estate transaction that could provide road frontage. If successful, the rezoning would no longer be needed. Councillor Roy Pennell asked about timing, and Kralits indicated negotiations could conclude in time for either the June or July meeting.
The chair then invited public comments. Nina Marie Lister, an adjoining property owner, outlined concerns related to road frontage, easements, and long-standing restrictions meant to limit development on undersized lots. Lister emphasized that her property had been purchased for conservation purposes and asked for a deferral to allow negotiations to continue. Jeremy Guth, also an adjoining owner, echoed those points and described efforts to conserve nearby lands through public and private initiatives. He also supported a short deferral.
A third speaker, Chris Adams, identified himself as a nearby property owner with no objection to the proposed garage but asked detailed questions about zoning categories and potential impacts on existing easements. Scott Pordham, Policy Planner, responded by clarifying how special zoning provisions work and noted that any frontage acquisition would require a separate consent process. At the applicant’s request, the committee passed a referral motion sending the matter back to staff pending further review of a potential land transaction.
Consent and Rezoning on County Road 12
The committee then returned to Consent and Rezoning Files B3-24 and Z5-24 for 1400 County Road 12, owned by Brian Wike Smith. Smith addressed the committee briefly, thanking planning staff for their clear guidance and confirming support for the application as presented. With no public comments, the committee approved the consent and rezoning subject to standard conditions, including road widening and title consolidation requirements.
Before adjourning, the committee received items approved under Delegated Authority By-Law 98-2020 for information. The meeting concluded at 7:33 p.m.
Key Takeaways
Rezoning applications can be paused when property negotiations may change the need for planning approvals.
Road frontage and legal access remain central issues in rural development decisions.
Public input continues to play a key role in shaping how planning applications move forward in Prince Edward County.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 34:13. 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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