South Frontenac Council - Apr. 10

Wilma Kenny | Apr 12, 2012

Next Steps for Sydenham Subdivision

In November 2010, council approved draft plan conditions for the Valleyview Estates subdivision in Sydenham (south off Rutledge road.) Since this approval the developer, Rob Morgan, has been working toward meeting the required conditions for final approval of the development.

One of the requirements is the conveyance of up to five percent of the land to the municipality for parkland: the municipality has the option to ask for cash in lieu of land. Morgan has proposed to pay cash-in-lieu to satisfy this condition. Accordingly, he came to Council with two appraisals of the land, for which he originally paid $295,000. Since then, the house on the property has been severed and sold. One value estimate was $100,000, the other $404,000. Council reached consensus that they would settle on a present value of $250,000. Five percent of that amount ($12,500) will be charged as parkland fee.

Mills brought a 35 page draft of the proposed Subdivision Agreement for Council’s information: the draft requires a few final revisions before it can be brought to Council for them to pass a by-law formalizing the agreement. The proposed 35-acre subdivision will include 20 residential building lots, one lot for ‘future adult lifestyle development’, and an environmental protection area along the creek.

Drinking Water Source Protection: Following the Walkerton tragedy where contamination of drinking water caused illness and death, the province established the Clean Water Act in 2006. This has led to the development of “Source Water Protection Plans” throughout the province. Locally, such a plan is in the process of being developed for the twelve municipal water systems in the Cataraqui Source protection Area (Sydenham is the only municipal system in South Frontenac), and for the vulnerable aquifers and groundwater recharge areas in the townships. The plan must be completed for submission to the MOE by August 2012. The Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority has requested Council to review the present, revised document and make comments as soon as possible. The whole document may be viewed on the CRCA’s website at: www.cleanwatercataraqui.ca. Council’s main concern is the potential expense of administering the plan, once it becomes a provincial requirement.

Sydenham Water Request for Exemption: Mike and Shelly Lacelle came to Council requesting they be exempted from hooking up municipal water to their proposed severance on Rutledge road, just east of the end of the present water system. (Connection to municipal water is a condition of severance approval.) The Lacelles say that the cost of bringing water to the lot would exceed $25,000. Council has asked for more information from the public works department about what will be involved in extending the water service, before making a decision.

Of Municipal Roofs, Rot and Raccoons

CAO Orr asked Council’s permission to go to tender for a new metal roof over the former library and administrative offices, on the grounds that the present roof, installed in the mid-‘80s, is leaking in a number of places where the steel roof has corroded around the roof fasteners. Rotted soffits have allowed vermin (raccoons?) to nest above the former library. Council agreed to roof replacement.