Addington Highlands Council - Jan. 19/09

Jule Koch Brison | Jan 22, 2009

Ursula Nussberger appeared before council to ask the township to “share the cost” of an application she and her husband Fritz had made last year to amend the township’s Official Plan and Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw to allow multiple residential zoning.

In September 2008 the Nussbergers submitted a plan to the township to build apartments on the back of an office that they are constructing to house Land O’ Lakes Community Services (LOLCS). However, since the Official Plan does not allow multiple residential zoning, they had to hire a planner to prepare an application for an amendment, which would have necessitated that public meetings be held.

Shortly afterwards the Nussbergers withdrew the application but received an invoice for just over $1700 from the township for the work that was done before the cancellation.

Ursula Nussberger commented to council on Monday night that the omission of multiple-residential zoning from the Official Plan (OP) “was a planning mistake, as other townships have that”, and asked if the plan was going to be revised. She also offered to help in any review of the plan.

Reeve Henry Hogg said that the Nussbergers were aware that there was a cost to their application but they went ahead with it. He said, “The planner was hired at your request”.

He also said that the Official Plan had only been in effect for two years, and that reviews are scheduled every five years. Township Clerk Jack Pauhl said that although amending the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw would be “less cumbersome” than the original, an official review would still cost from $5,000 to $10,000.

Councilor Janice Kerr commented that there wasn’t much council could do about the invoice.

Council voted to receive the request from the Nussbergers.

Council approved two drafts from Quinte Eco Consultants for the Landfill Monitoring programs of the Denbigh and Mackavoy Lake waste disposal sites. Quinte Eco recommends increasing the monitoring from annual to triannual for Denbigh and biannual for Mackavoy. “This is ongoing - we’re no closer to knowing if anything is going to happen,” commented Reeve Hogg.

Council approved a request from Fraser Haulage Recycling for an extra $165 in tipping fees for recyclables. The extra fees are being incurred because of the plunge in the recycling market.

The Flinton Recreation Club asked for a reduction in the rental fee for the Flinton hall. The club supports the Early Years Playgroup by paying the fee, which they said had increased from $15 to $55 per day. Council agreed to the reduction.

Councilor Janice Kerr said that the Denbigh Recreation Committee would support a Poker Run that will take place at the end of January by holding a licenced dance. She also commented that although a ruling was passed that everyone who holds licenced events has to purchase extra insurance, it was a “sore spot” that committees of the township should have to purchase extra insurance.

The insurance alone for the Denbigh Country Dance had cost $400, leaving the committee with very little in profit. Kerr said she agreed that individuals must obtain their own insurance, as the township has no control over what happens at private licenced events, but that the committee is very careful in overseeing the events they sponsor.

Council agreed to contact their insurance company about the matter.

Councilor Kerr also brought forward a request to install streetlights on Lane Street, which leads to the Denbigh rink. She said that when children walk to the rink in the winter or to the ballpark in the summer they are in total darkness once they leave Hwy 28. Council agreed to get prices on the streetlights.

The township’s levy from Quinte Conservation will be $12,467 this year. Council deferred the matter to budget deliberations.