Premature public meeting of proposed Collins Lake subdivision

Fran Willes | May 04, 2016

The County of Frontenac requested the Township of South Frontenac to hold a public meeting for the proposed Collins Lake subdivision, and the meeting was held on Tuesday, April 5th. However, from the many crucial questions raised by the public, and the lack of other vital information, I was of the opinion that the meeting was prematurely called. Furthermore, the Health Unit had not submitted their report prior to the meeting date. Since the Health Unit is one of the vital government agencies whose input can significantly affect any development, it was unwise for the County to ask the public for their comments on the proposal. Among the many significant concerns raised by the public, high on the list were complaints concerning Notification of the Meeting, the adequacy of potable water with all of its ramifications, a need for the Applicant to provide all future development plans for the 850 acre parcel of land, and the results of an OMB hearing that was held on the same parcel of land in approximately 1993.

In my opinion, the County could have presented a more concise summary of all of the studies they had in their possession, and waited for the Health Unit to report before requesting the Township to hold the public meeting. Due to the lack of information, in my view, a rescheduled official public meeting as required under the Planning Act should be called to enable the public to attend and properly assess all of the reports and documents pertaining to the proposed development.