Body: Council Type: Document Meeting: Committee Date: 2019 Collection: Agenda Attachments Municipality: Frontenac County
[View Document (PDF)](/docs/frontenac-county/Item Attachments/Agenda Item/2019/May/Mr. Darwyn Sproule will provide a deputation to the Committee regarding Township of North Frontenac citizen concerns over Areas of Natural and Scienti/Presentation by Darwyn Sproule.pdf)
Document Text
North Frontenac Citizen ANSI Concerns Frontenac County – Planning Advisory Committee May 6, 2019 (Darwyn Sproule – as a NF Twp resident and business owner) 1
Background: • Discovered two new ANSIs during review of NF draft zoning By-law • Palmerston Lake – 4000+ acres with 2500+ acres of private land • Plevna Cedar Swamp – 300+ acres all private land • Unprecedented impact on private lands by ANSIs in NF • Have yet to find a property owner aware of the creation of these ANSIs • Then found ANSIs is County OP and Township OP • DARN! • (not an ANSI lesson – no time) 2
Concerns: • Township OP – ANSIs not mentioned in text, ANSI type or classification not identified, missing an approved provincial ANSI … • County OP – based on Natural Heritage Study from 2012, two public meetings (none in NF), advisory committee heavy with ‘environmental’ representation … were implications understood locally at the time? • ANSI boundaries do not reflect existing uses ie Hamlet and licensed active gravel pit. MNRF document states that additional field work is required • County protective measures for ANSIs exceed regulatory requirements, protecting regional ANSIs to the same level as provincial ANSIs, why?, there are three ANSI classifications for a reason? 3
Concerns (continued) • Uses other than ‘existing and accessory buildings’ require an Environmental Impact Assessment • County introduces a new ‘wildlife corridor’ application for ANSIs that exceed the original ANSI protective measures and will complicate and expand Environmental Impact Assessments. • County OP eliminates ability for any of you (Townships) to make planning decisions related to regional ANSIs.
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Most Significant Factor …. • MNRF identify, study, recommend and administer the process to ‘confirm’ ANSIs (provincial, regional, local or candidate ANSIs) • Confirmation process requires notice, contact and consultation with impacted private property owners • Family owned property since 1930s and I have owned it since 1970s …. never contacted …. others not contacted either • No studies provided No final reports provided • No consultation No documentation • No evidence that MNRF followed their own ‘confirmation’ process 5
Most Significant Factor (continued) • MNRF admitted one error recently - changed a provincial ANSI to regional • Lots and Lots of excuses ie Madawaska Highlands Land Use Plan … • In our opinion - over the last six (6) months – focus has been on finding some option or means to salvage the current ‘regional’ classification • RATHER THAN pressuring MNRF for documentation to confirm ANSIs were properly created • There are other examples of MNRF mapping errors – ie Windsor wetland designation, OP wording in a northern municipality etc 6
Current Status • ANSI issue impacting zoning By-law approval • Do not compromise the proper solution due to the desired schedule • If an OP amendment is required, let the public decide during the process and do not second guess the outcome • PROPERTY OWNERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PROVE THE ANSIs WERE IMPROPERLY CREATED —- MNRF SHOULD HAVE TO PROVE THEY WERE! • We are preparing to take our concerns regarding MNRF’s failure to follow the ANSI ‘confirmation’ process to the Ombudsman 7
Asking the County to … • Supplement the Township’s efforts and inform MNRF of this serious issue, related concerns and the significant direct impact on the County and Township’s planning process • Give MNRF a deadline to demonstrate compliance with the ANSI confirmation process OR otherwise insist that MNRF senior management update the ANSI classifications to ‘candidate’ status • If none of the above work – review options – ie revise the County OP to only protect Regional ANSIs on crown land, not private land! The County has this latitude. • Suspect we will also be asking the Township to formally request this County amendment. Thank you for your time and for considering this item on such short notice.
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