Revisions to North Frontenac Zoning Bylaw coming into stretch run

Craig Bakay | May 16, 2018

North Frontenac’s updated Zoning Bylaw has gone to the solicitor for comments and a ‘final’ draft should be provided to Council June 15, planner Tracy Zander told Council at its regular meeting last Friday in Plevna. From there, a public open house is scheduled for July 13 and a statutory public meeting and passing of the bylaw is expected sometime in August.

“We’ve been working with the feedback we received at the last open house,” she said. “We received 20 comments or so.

“Next we’ll be focusing on revisions to general provisions and definitions.

“I think we’ll bring you a document that’s very special to your needs in North Frontenac.”

Zander said hobby farms will be receiving a lot of attention, with the minimum lots size being reduced to five acres from 10. However, a new setback from water will be 150 metres instead of the current 30 metres. There will be new rules governing barn sizes and outbuildings.

She said there has also been a lot of interest in keeping chickens.

Another area of interest has been outdoor furnaces but Zander suggested that might be better served in a separate bylaw.

They also plan to meet with logging companies to get their feedback.

Residents are encouraged to contact Clerk/Planning manager Tara Mieske if they have additional comments.

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Local governments will have more control over planning and appeals with the passage of Bill 139, the Building Better Communities and Conserving Watersheds Act, County of Frontenac community planner Megan Rueckwald told Council.

For one thing, the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) replaces the Ontario Municipal Board and will restrict appeal grounds for official plans and zoning bylaws to only matters of consistency and/or conformity with provincial and/or municipal policies/plans. The onus is on the appellant to set out reasons why a Council decision is inconsistent or does not conform with provincial policy and/or an applicable official plan.

In matters of non-decision or refusal, the onus is on the applicant to demonstrate how their proposal would be consistent and how existing official plan policies and zoning bylaw provisions fall short.

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Dep. Mayor Fred Perry wants to see containers at boat launches for broken plastic worms. Perry referenced recent studies that claim such items end up in fish after they are discarded and can cause a variety of issues in those fish.

Coun. Gerry Martin argued that such containers and corresponding signage should be conservation authority or lake association initiatives.

“My guess is that Canonto Lake would like one for its boat launch,” said Coun. Denis Bedard.

Council decided it was worth a try on as a “trial project.”

“If you only get two broken worms in a box, it’s not worth it,” said Perry.

He said the Conservationists of Frontenac were prepared to provide the signs and boxes.