The Chair requested staff to advise on the manner of giving notice for the proposed Zoning By-law Amendment. He also asked staff to briefly describe the proposal and summarize the correspondence, if any, received to date.
Mr. LaHay confirmed that the required notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act and circulated to each owner of land within 500 metres, and that a sign was posted on the subject property. He summarized the application, explaining that it proposes to rezone a portion of the property from Agricultural (A1) Zone to an Agricultural (A1-*) Exception Zone to permit a non-agricultural use, being a private school as a secondary use to the existing main agricultural use. The effect of the amendment will facilitate the creation of a private school with access from Centreline Road to support the local Mennonite area community on an approximate 0.8 ha (2 ac.) portion of the subject land. Consistency with the Provincial Policy Statement and conformity to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe and the Kawartha Lakes Official Plan will be determined upon this application's further review. Mr. LaHay summarized the comments received to date, as detailed in his report, noting that subsequent to the writing of the report, one letter of support was received from Janet Murtha, and additional correspondence expressing concerns were received from the following individuals:
- Dave Murtha
- Colleen and Kevin Ray
- Joan Wood and R. Wood; and
- Jim Goudie
Mr. LaHay summarized their expressed concerns relating to the following issues:
- inconsistencies in the reports submitted by the applicant,
- proximity to rural lots and driveways,
- safety hazards,
- noise,
- resale value,
- on-site sewage,
- water quality and quantity for neighbours; and
- alternate locations for the school on the subject property, and elsewhere in the community
He also noted that comments were received from the City's Economic Development Agriculture Officer with no concerns noted. Comments were also received from the Part 8 Sewage System Supervisor advising of no concerns with the rezoning proposal; however, further comments on the development and servicing will be provided at the time of Site Plan submission. Staff are recommending that the application be referred back to staff until such time as comments have been received from all circulated agencies and City Departments, and that any comments and concerns have been addressed. He responded to questions from Committee members.
The Chair inquired if the applicant wished to speak to the application.
Tom deBoer of TD Consulting spoke as the applicant and provided a summary of the application stating that the community is seeking to house the existing children in a schoolhouse from existing locations in homes. He noted that the location was selected to maintain the MDS setbacks from existing agricultural facilities while providing access via horse and buggy travel to the community. He also noted that the selected location would provide an 80m buffer from an adjacent property, and minimize impact. Mr. deBoer stated that there were no known issues with water in the area, however they could consider further study to prove adequate supply and quality. He made himself available for any questions, and noted that he would be willing to address issues brought forward at the meeting today. He responded to questions from the members of the Committee.
The Chair inquired if anyone wished to speak to the application.
Kevin and Colleen Ray of 1006 Centreline Road provided a summary of their correspondence circulated to the members of the committee. They noted three concerns being:
- Water issues in the area, and lack of a hydrogeological study;
- Negative impact on property values in the area with reduced privacy
- Alternate locations for the school on the Martin property, or elsewhere in the community.
Harvey Horst stated that he had nothing further to add at this time.
Peter Martin spoke having been involved in this application, and clarified a couple issues including noting that an alternate location at Centreline and Sunnywood is right by a bend in the road, and the visibility might not be suitable. He further stated that the proposed location was central to the needs of the community.
No other persons spoke to the application.
The Chair permitted Mr. deBoer to respond to the issues raised. Mr. deBoer stated that Amon Martin has offered the land for the purposes of building a schoolhouse, noting that other members of the Mennonite community have not come forward with alternate locations. He further noted that this school would serve the entire community, and should the need arise later, an additional eastern schoolhouse could be considered. Regarding alternate locations on the land, he stated that the southeast corner is in an environmentally regulated area by Kawartha Conservation, and the southwest corner was in close proximity to an intersection.