South Frontenac Council - Sep. 21/10

Wilma Kenny | Sep 23, 2010

South Frontenac Township endorses Sunday hunting

Over 70 onlookers packed the township hall in Sydenham to witness the Sunday hunt vote. Councilor McPhail said he would like a public meeting first, to allow a voice for “both sides – if there are two sides on this issue.” Deputy Mayor Vandewal noted that those who were opposed could have attended, but everyone present seemed in favour. Councilor Robinson asked whether the vote could go forward with one councilor (David Hahn) absent. Mayor Davison said Hahn, who had been strongly opposed to Sunday hunting, had chosen to attend a sub-committee meeting rather than Council. Council then voted to endorse Sunday hunting, and to inform the Ministry of Natural Resources of their stand on the issue. Councilor McPhail voted against the motion, and Councilor Hicks abstained.

Rural Reality vs. “The Toronto Solution?”

Planner Lindsay Mills presented a summary of the draft proposed changes to the township’s official plan, which have been recommended by the Planning Department and agreed to by Council. Mills detailed four areas of disagreement between Council and the ministry. 1) The ministry objects to allowing five severances from a parcel existing in 2000. Their policy is to restrict all development to the hamlet areas. Mills said that this seems to be based on the assumption that the hamlet areas have water and sewers, where in reality pockets of dense development would be likely to result in groundwater contamination. 2) The ministry objects to development on private lanes, citing health and safety issues. Mills thinks they are unaware that the township allows only waterfront development off public roads, and sets conditions re the construction and upkeep of the access lanes. Mills said he thinks there shouldn’t be much difficulty resolving these two issues, but the remaining two differences may need to be supported by studies before the ministry will accept them. The first is a proposal to extend the boundaries of the Sydenham Hamlet, and the second concerns the desire of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food to expand the areas designated Prime Agricultural to twice the present size in Storrington and four times the presently designated area in Portland. No future severances or development are permitted in prime agricultural areas.

Once Council has established a position on these last two issues, the proposed revisions will be brought to a public meeting, before the plan is approved and sent on to the ministry for final review and approval.