Planner Alex Benzie presented on the amendment to adjust the settlement area of the Village of Cobden for the purposes of future growth.
She said that this was to implement the findings of a growth study done in 2020.
The amendment would redesignate 20 hectaires of land on the east and west of the highway and remove 40 hectaires in the south of the village.
She said that residents commented in a public meetings in July, and so the western residential lands along the highway be omitted.
She said the next step would be to put forward Council’s decision to the County of Renfrew to continue the process.
Members of the public were given permission to provide comment.
Donna Burns, a resident and president of the Ontario Landowners Association, spoke.
“I want you to appreciate that when we provide information that we have the weight of the legislature.” she said. “Lawyers and provincial legistators are starting to come to us.”
“The one thing I want to address is this public meetings. The timing for them sucks. When you hold them at a supper hour or the travel period, it sends a strong message that you don’t want them here. Also the location; we’re packed here, they were scrambling to find seats.”
She criticized the Algonquin Land Acknowledgment at the beginning of the meeting, which is stated at every meeting and recognizes that the meetings occur on the traditional territory of the Algonquin indigenous people.
“if you actually did the research, we have treaties for these areas, Treaties 20 or 25. Because you’re not researching.”
“It says private lands must be first acquired by the Township for them to be rezoned.”
Mayor Nicholson attempted to move on to allow others to speak, but members of the public shouted out that there was no time limit.
Mayor Nicholson said that “There’s ample opportunities to speak” after the meeting, but that
“These official plans, when you’re making these official plans, you need to do the research.” Burns said. “With these bylaws, The Crown has granted authority for that land through the crown patent.”
She claimed that the Township had ignored previous legislation in rezoning the lands without acquiring them.
“I want honest conversation with you.” she said.
Mayor Nicholson said he was willing to meet with the public.
Doug Shields of Astrolabe Road asked “whats with the traffic going to be on Astrolable Road? We’ve never been asked about the increase of traffic on Astrolabe road. People drive at 60kms an hour. Snowmobilies 0n on that road. This is the kind of stuff thats brought up to your employees, and nothing is done.”
CAO Burton brought up a report in previous council about Astrolable Road and highway traffic speeding dangerously up the road to reach Cobden’s Main street.
“We could anticipate the additional number of traffic for the initial phase. Beyond phase one, we would have. To assess the accommodations for the kind of units proposed for after phase one.”
He said that the future developments might necessitate sidewalks or boulevards and that Astrolabe was “identified for future upgrades” in the next 10-20 years.
Donna Burns came up again to ask if the land to be rezoned was acquired by the Township.
“The council’s role is to support it, we are not approving it at this time, our duty is to send our recommendations to County. We have not acquired the land, we do not intend to acquire the land. We have been informed we have the authority to recommend, we’re a commenting agency.” CAO Burton said.
Resident Laurie Briscoe asked the Council to make rezoning more transparent., “How can the County make those land available if they do not own it?”
“The advertisement for the public meeting is this one. The County advertise their agendas, and the public will have to review the agenda. With respect to section 25, I don’t have it. I will just have to revert back to Bruce Horwath, that the County have the authority to redesignate the lands.”
Doug Shields asked if the public had been made aware of the notice of the County of Renfrew’s meeting to approve the amendment.
CAO Burton said the notice was publicized in the paper and on the County website.
Luke Colestead, a ‘concerned citizen of Renfrew County’ said: “My concern is the that precedent in whitewater “will” have repercussions elsewhere in the Renfrew County.”
He expressed “my objection to the interesting timing, and location of the meeting”.
He attempted to explain the ‘Freedom Movement’’s attempts to create ‘trading cards’ on politicians, before the Mayor interrupted to remind him that the meeting was for the specific official plan amendment.
“What do you want your trading card to look like?” he said, to applause from the crowd.
Alex Benzie said no written submissions had been received for the Township or the County of Renfrew.
After a recess, Councillor Olmstead said that the landowners there were ‘very in favour of rezoning.”
Councillor Mark Bell said that the residents ‘had been in consultation.”
Councillor Joey Trimm asked if the lands in question were privately owned and there was no plan to change any existing properties or acquire them beyond rezoning for future use.
“Actually RL and Bi are owned by Bonnechere valley inc. There is a high level concept plan for those lands.” Planner Benzie said.
“I don’t see anywhere in there where it explicitly states that we need to acquire the land as Mrs. Burns said.” Councillor Bell said. “Have we worked with any legal experts on that saying we have to own that land to rezone it. I’m asking if someone can speak to that.”
Mayor Nicholson said that there was a legal opinion sought by County, spoken to during the Spring public meeting.
“I think the reality is that our plan is not the only plan that exists in Ontario. We see the City of Ottawa expanding their boundaries; this is just that on the smaller scale. The growth study was done to ensure that the municipality had sufficient lands for 20 years of development. The legal right is not being contested to redesignate lands.”
Councillor Bell said he would ‘like to see that legal opinion’ received by county.
The Council endorsed the amendment, and sent to the County of Renfrew to approve.
