• Protecting Water and Farmland in Simcoe County

Little, Bays on opposite sides of gravel pit decision

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In Adjala-Tosorontio
Apr 2nd, 2018
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OMB would confirm gravel pit decision – Little

Letter to the Alliston Herald from Adjala-Tosorontio Deputy MayorDoug Little –  March 26, 2018

The Nelson Aggregate Gravel Pit application has shown the residents’ compassion to protect the environment and the vigorous opposition and determination to stop these types of applications.

I have been a neighbour of these extraction operations for over five decades. Although I may not be a fan of gravel pits either, this area has been mapped and recognized for this resource by all three levels of government since the inception of our official plan.

My decision to support the zoning change was made entirely on the information received from all provincial government agencies, including the Ministry of National Resources Forestry, Nottawasaga Conservation Authority, County of Simcoe, aggregate mining and extraction operational reports, which the township had peer reviewed by a third party, along with all other supporting information.

I can assure those few accusers I had nothing to gain here and I also truly believe that the council’s decision to not have party status at the hearing has saved its residents upwards of $200,000 as, in my opinion, the Ontario Municipal Board outcome would not have been different, as their decisions are justified by professional and scientific reports, not opinions. As long as there are roads, bridges, bricks, blocks, wells, housing, etc., the need for aggregate will always be a required resource. It just happens to be in our township.

I would advise this zoning change, like all the previous ones, will not wreak the devastation on our community that some would suggest. The aggressiveness and combativeness of some community members was very evident during this process. Hopefully upon moving forward, the verbal attacks can start to subside.

Council ignored opponents of gravel pit

Letter to the Alliston Herald from Annette Bays, Loretto – April 02, 2018

In response to Adj/Tos Deputy Mayor Doug Little’s letter:

To begin with, I would like to point out that this pit is not like all the others, as it is below the established water table, which creates a whole host of extra negatives for the environment, and affects the neighbouring properties to a much greater degree.

The deputy mayor claims that he made his decision based on reports from MNRF, NVCA, and a peer review (by Burnside Engineering), but in those agencies’ initial reports, there were 142 objections to Nelson’s submission, and according to my research, at the time of the deputy mayor’s decision, the final reports had not even been received yet, nor had the revised site plan.

In addition, our council never, ever met as a group to discuss the pit before the day the decision was made, and by the way, in so doing, they broke four of their own bylaws.

I understand that a council has an obligation to follow municipal, county and provincial policies, but it also has an obligation to support its residents and the well-being of the township as is laid out in our own official community plan.

Hundreds of residents have made it clear they oppose this pit; if some of them have come across as “aggressive and combative” it could be as a result of their deputations, presentations, and heartfelt personal appeals being blatantly ignored by the deputy mayor and the majority of council for the past three years.

 

 

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