Central Frontenac Council - September 30
Hinchinbrooke Site Community Proposal
Tracey Hole and Aleris Cronk appeared as a delegation to the September 23 regular meeting of Central Frontenac Council, on behalf of the District 4 Recreation Committee.
They were there to propose that the township enter into a co-operative process with the Hinchinbrooke site sub-committee of the Recreation Committee to develop what they called a “multi-use community recreation site” once the former Hinchinbrooke school building is torn down.
In a handout they brought with them, they outlined a broad set of possible community uses that could take place on the site.
These include: space for agricultural workshops, senior and youth centre, daycare, an event space, and more.
Tracey Hole said her group would like the site to enhance “health and wellness, economic benefits, youth development, community connection, promoting environmental awareness, and multiple recreational opportunities for everyone to enjoy.
“We respectfully request the opportunity to partner with the council, to achieve this shared goal. We ask for assurances from the township and the council, that they actively collaborate with us to ensure that the property becomes a positive asset for both the community and Central Frontenac Township.”
Aleris Cronk pointed out that the space is adjacent to the Parham Fair grounds and the Parham Ballfield and the committee's vision is for the extended site to be a large community recreational, and social, hub for the township. She also pointed out that the legacy of Hinchbrook school, which was a community hub throughout its 44 years of existence, “makes this space special and meaningful, and many of the people who went there continue to live in Central Frontenac.”
Mayor Frances Smith said “it looks like you are talking about putting up a new building when the old building is torn down. Well, do you have money, because we don't,” she said.
Tracey Hole said that the first step is to establish a working relationship with the township regarding a vision for the site, and that work on developing the infrastructure on the site will have to be done in phases, as funds become available.
“You don't build these things in a day, it takes time and commitment,” she said.
Smith also pointed out that the site is also being looked at as a potential location for housing.
“We are looking at market rent housing, with a possible affordable housing component,” she said, “but the site can accommodate both, it is a big site.”
The township received a proposal from Habitat For Humanity, earlier this year, for a housing complex on the site. Smith said that proposal is “off the table”, but a housing project similar to one being built in Verona by South Frontenac Township, is a possibility.
Council passed a motion receiving the presentation for information.
“I think we've been dismissed,” Aleris Cronk said to Tracey Hole as the pair got up off their chairs to leave.
3rd Severance On The Way
Frontenac County Manager of Community Planning Sonya Bolton, who works as the contract planner for Central Frontenac, completed a process of changing her recommendation regarding an Official Plan amendment which will permit three severances, in addition to the retained lot, on eligible properties in Central Frontenac. When the township's official plan was approved in 2008, all rural property owners in the township were given the opportunity to create two additional building lots on their property.
When, led by Councillor Danny Meeks, Council asked if the ability to create a third lot, Bolton balked at the idea at first. While three lots are common in other area municipalities, including South Frontenac, Bolton said that there is already an adequate supply of building lots in the township, based on research done by the Frontenac County GPS department,
However, on the urging of Council, further analysis of those lots of record has determined that many of them are not actually suitable to build on, up to 1/3 of them. Bolton reported back to Council about this in the summer, and was back at this meeting to present a formal proposal for the Official Plan amendment creating the third lot.
The start date for the process remains 2008, and there is no end date, which means properties that have had two new lots created since that date, can only have one more, while properties that have not been severed since then can have three lots created.
New lot creation may become more onerous in other ways, however, as a provision that any new lot has a suitable water supply, may require a test well be drilled before the lot is created in Central Frontenac, a condition that is in place in South Frontenac, but has not been in Central Frontenac.
Council accepted Bolton's report, and an official plan amendment will proceed forward for the 3rd severance, and the accompanying water supply standard provisions.
Proposal for energy generation on Hinchinbrooke Road
Steven Reeder is with a company called Originative Energy Solutions that is preparing a response to request for proposal from the Independent Energy Systems Operator (IESO) for the supply of power. The site they are looking at is a gravel pit at the junction of Hinchinbrooke and Westport Roads, and in the presentation Reeder said the company is planning to deploy “conventional turbines but using bio-fuels rather than natural gas or oil” to power them and produce energy on demand when required by the grid.
He said that the location is important because not only is it already a developed site, so it is not pristine wilderness, it is also big enough so the turbines and associated infrastructure will not be visible from off the site, and the site is along what he called, an “energy super-highway” due to hydro lines that cross there.”
He said the turbine is not loud, and would only be fired 200-300 hours per year, between Monday and Friday in the daytime, to supplement the grid in high energy usage times.
He is asking for a municipal support resolution for the project, which does not mean that the township is approving it at this time.
“All of your approval process, fire regulations, environmental assessments, etc. will still be in place and if we do not satisfy those requirements , you can say no,” he said.
For now, all he was asking of Council was to receive the information he had provided and provide a pre-engagement notice confirming that the company has made a presentation to Council.
Council agreed to this.
David Bates For The Dogs
David Bates made a presentation with three proposed amendments to the wording of the township's dog bylaw. He said his intention was for the spirit of the bylaw to be reflected in the wording of the bylaw. His proposed changes centre on the fact that the current wording does not permit a property owner to allow their dog to run free on their own property, even if the dog never leaves the property.
Council received the presentation and referred the recommendations in it to the bylaw officer.
Website upgrade
Council approved a contract to spend $22,000 on a new website and then pay an annual $5,700 to manage it. The content management system in the current site will cease to be viable next June, and the Frontenac County IT department, which provides service to the four Frontenac municipalities, has gone to market and come back with a recommended supplier.
Councillor Duncan McGregor has earlier made a proposal, which was accepted by council, to form an ad hoc committee made up of council members and the public, to look at the website and recommend ways to make it more effective for residents.
He proposed a deferral of the Frontenac County proposal until that committee had met and brought back recommendations, but Council voted that down, and approved the contract, which was the recommendation of David Millard, Manager of IT services with Frontenac County.
Public Open House
An Open House to introduce the new township office to the public will take place in late October
Railway Heritage Museum
Rhonda Young, representing the railway heritage committee, brought a proposal for a mural and a new caboose at the railway park, at the junction of the K&P and Tay-Havelock trails.
She requested $5,000 in support from Central Frontenac. That request will be included in the budget process for 2026.
