Environmental Studies Delay High School construction at Sharbot Lake

Jeff Green | Aug 23, 2012

Environmental impact studies need to be done

As the long hot summer drags to a close with no sign of construction of a new school in the mostly empty parking lot at Sharbot Lake High School, rumours have been circulating that the project is either about to be scrapped, has already been scrapped, or is in some other sort of deep trouble.

The truth, it turns out, is less dramatic.

Planning delays.

In order to put a new building in the location that the architects have chosen, a minor variance in the Central Frontenac zoning bylaw is necessary because the site can only accommodate 100 cars, 21 fewer than are required in the zoning bylaw for a building of that size, and the setbacks from a nearby wetland is 9.5 metres instead of the required 30 metres.

In order for this variance to be granted the township required that the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) report on the environmental impacts and so an Environmental Impact Study was commissioned. The results and an opinion from the MVCA are expected within the week.

The Limestone District School Board has asked the township to try to pass the zoning bylaw amendment and an accompanying site plan agreement as soon as possible, and in an effort to accommodate that request, the township is holding two rare Thursday meetings on August 30. The Committee of Adjustment will meet at 6:30 to deal with the minor variance, and a Council meeting will follow at 7:00 pm for a public meeting on the site plan agreement, followed by a decision by Council to accept or reject that agreement.

If all goes smoothly on the 31st, the school board will be able to seek a building permit for the project after a 20-day appeal period.

So, by early fall, the shovels may indeed hit the ground at SLHS, making it possible to achieve the September 2013 target date for opening.

That is - unless someone decides to challenge the site plan agreement or zoning bylaw variance to the Ontario Municipal Board. Then all bets would be off.