Frontenac County Council - Jul 23/10

Jeff Green | Jul 29, 2010

Council rebuffs expanded transportation study – 

Steve Carol and Ken Becking, engineers with Jewell Engineering, made a presentation to Frontenac County Council concerning a proposed comprehensive transportation study for the county. The study would look not only at all of the roads and bridges, but trails, transportation services, ferries, and more.

“The transportation management plan focus should be a review of roads to consider a regional roads system, but integration and linkages to other modes of transportation (roads, trails, transit, and ferries) must be considered as part of this project,” said a staff report supporting an allocation of $110,000 towards a transportation management plan.

Members of County Council didn't mince words in response.

“I cannot support this. It is not what we discussed when we first talked about working together on roads,” said County Warden Gary Davison. “We already turned down that $110,000 when we did our budget.”

“I have difficulty with this. I have difficulty expanding this beyond roads,” said Frontenac Islands Mayor Jim Vanden Hoek.

The impetus for a transportation plan came about as the result of proposals by public works managers from North, Central and South Frontenac who wanted to look at maintenance on arterial roads in Frontenac County. These roads are owned and maintained by the individual townships as there are no county roads in Frontenac County. Roads that are being considered for a possible 'regional' roads system are Road 38, Perth Road and Road 506/509. Other roads that may be added include Ardoch Road, Harlowe Road, Westport Road, Rutledge Road, and others,

“Having listened to some of the issues being raised, I would like to ask the consulting group whether the terms of reference for this study could be re-addressed to look specifically at arterial roads” said County Chef Administrative Officer Elizabeth Savill.

Consideration of the transportation management plan was deferred to allow Jewel Engineering to prepare and cost out a more limited study.

There is $40,000, taken from a federal gas tax rebate, in the Frontenac County 2010 budget for a transportation management plan.

BRIDGEN'S ISLAND SOLUTION PROPOSED:

Frontenac County's Sustainabilty Planner, Joe Gallivan, was given the task of bringing options to County Council to resolve a zoning quagmire on Bridgen’s Island, which is located on Eagle Lake.

The island was developed under a single ownership in 1975, with individual landowners forming the Bridgen’s Island Association to deal with legal and financial matters. This didn’t fit with the new realities of the post-amalgamation municipal world, and since 2003 the Bridgen’s Island property owners have been working with Central Frontenac on a plan to establish standard building lots on the island under a plan of subdivision.

Eagle Lake was designated as a highly sensitive trout lake in 2008, and the increased setback requirements, 300 metres, makes it impossible to create a new building lot on Bridgen’s Island because the island is less than 600 metres wide.

There are 10 lots on the island that already have cottages on them, and since they are already in existence, the Province of Ontario will accept designating those lots as building lots. However, there are four proposed lots in the Bridgen’s Island Association plan of subdivision proposal that have never been built on.

It is the status of these four lots that Joe Gallivan was asked to clarify. As the four lot owners looked on, Gallivan laid out his recommendation, whereby those lots could be accommodated in a plan of subdivision.

But even if the recommendation is accepted, the lots may not have any real value to the four owners.

Gallivan proposed that four “private open space lots” be established, upon which development would not be permitted. They would have a legal status, but would be no more than privately owned camp sites.

At some point in the future the lot owners could seek a zoning change for their lots, but this could only happen if the Ministry of the Environment approves a zero phosphorous septic system, or if the highly sensitive trout lake designation on Eagle Lake is lifted at some point.

Joe Gallivan said that zero phosphorous septic technology exists but the Ministry of the Environment has not accepted the technology thus far.

“They might do so in the future,” he said.

Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski supported Joe Gallivan’s private open space lot proposal, and proposed a motion authorizing him to put together a plan for County Council approval. Her proposal covers a series of requirements that are meant to ensure that the plan will meet with the approval of the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Mayors Davison and Vanden Hoek both said they were not familiar enough with what was being proposed to be comfortable voting on it.

Vanden Hoek then raised a question about the possibility of an Ontario Municipal Board Hearing if the Ministry of Municipal Affairs decides to oppose the plan.

“If this goes to the OMB, would we be the ones who would have to pay the legal fees?” Vanden Hoek asked.

“We are planning for this to not go to the OMB,” Gallivan replied, “but if it does the costs would come to us.”

“Would we have to contest this, or could we walk away?” asked Vanden Hoek.

“That would be a decision of Council,” Gallivan said.

Council decided to ask Joe Gallivan for a further report, clarifying the option that he is recommending.

The Bridgen’s Island lot owners huddled together after the meeting. Theyw said they had no comment to make at this time.

GIS EMPLOYEE PROPOSED: A proposal to hire a full-time technician to help complete and manage the County Global Information System (GIS) mapping system was put off until the next meeting on August 11.

UPDATE OF SUSTAINABILITY WEBSITE – Council approved a $30,000 upgrade of the www.directionsforourfuture.ca website that was set up as part of the county’s Integrated Community Sustainability Plan.