WHITEWATER REGION (Cobden) — At the meeting of the Council of the Township of Whitewater Region on Wednesday last week, the Development and Planning Committee recommended Council to support consent files B68/19, B69/19 and B70/19. These will allow for the creation of three residential parcels, subject to one condition per application; that the owner provide the Township with two original copies of a registered survey plan which identifies the severance.
The present application is submitted by Chris Clarke of Zanderplan Inc., on behalf of Wilson Rae. The application is for the property described as, “Lot 10, Ross Concession 11 and fronting on Grants Settlement Road.” The intent of the application is to create three new, vacant residential lots located along Grants Settlement Road. The lots are to have the following dimensions:
- File B68/19 has a Lot Frontage of 117.3 metres, a Lot Depth of 489.8 metres and the Lot Area is 5.5 ha;
- File B69/19 has a Lot Frontage of 119 metres, a Lot Depth of 467.6 metres and the Lot Area is 5.2 ha;
- File B70/19 has a Lot Frontage of 131 metres, a Lot Depth of 438.5 metres and the Lot Area is 4.9 ha.
The retained parcel is also vacant and would retain a lot area of approximately 45.7 acres.
“The concerned parcels are surrounded by residential and agricultural uses,” said Ivan Burton, Planner and Economic Development Officer. He explained the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) outlines that limited residential development may be permitted on rural lands provided it is compatible with the rural landscape. The PPS also notes that development in rural areas should be sustained by rural service levels, including infrastructure and the provision of water and sewer services. The proposed development of three new vacant lots intended for the development of single detached dwellings, having a minimum lot area of 4.9 hectares, will not contravene the policies of the PPS.
According to Mr. Burton, the severed and retained parcels are all situated within the rural land use designation within the County of Renfrew’s Official Plan (OP). This designation permits limited low density residential uses including single dwellings and accessory structures. The rural designation also outlines lots shall be relatively large, being not less than one acre, and adequately sized for the installation of private services.
The land division policies of the OP permits the development of rural lots by consent. It also outlines the maximum number of new lots permitted to be created for residential purposes from an original holding shall be three lots. Additional lots may be created, but are subject to certain conditions. “At this time, the proposed three lots will be the only lots created from the original holding,” said Mr. Burton.
The concerned parcels are located within the “Rural (RU) Zone” of Ross zoning by-law (ZBL) number 23-92. The RU Zone requires new lots to have a minimum lot frontage of 35 metres and a lot area of half an acre. The proposed dimensions and area of all subject parcels will conform to the appropriate zones. They will also front on a municipal road, which is maintained year-round.
“The County identified, through the 2012 Ministry of Natural Resource pre-consultation comments, there is a regulated habitat for an endangered species of turtle on the subject lands,” stated Mr. Burton. “They’ve indicated that, ‘Species at Risk’ are now under the mandate of the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP) and, through consultation, have indicated that severances are not considered an ‘activity’ under the Endangered Species Act. Landowners are recommended to contact the MECP by email once a development proposal (i.e. house construction) is proposed.”
The present application will meet the provisions of the PPS, the OP of the County of Renfrew and Ross ZBL. The creation and development of these three lots will not conflict with adjacent land uses, will maintain the rural character of the area and will be sufficiently sized to provide for private on-site water and sewer services.
Moved by Councillor Daryl McLaughlin and seconded by Councillor Dave MacKay, Council voted to carry the motion. The next step in this process is to advise Planning Services at the County of Renfrew of Council’s decision and to forward them the recommended conditions.
