Springwater residents opposing gravel pit expansion

By Ian McInroy, Barrie Examiner

Residents of Centre Vespra, located west of Barrie on Sunnidale Road, will be watching the results of a Springwater Township council meeting on Wednesday night.

Council will consider a draft bylaw — and potentially amending a zoning bylaw and establishing a holding provision — to permit aggregate extraction beside an existing gravel pit off Barrie Hill Road, south of Sunnidale Road.

Councillors will be discussing a followup report on the Eek pit expansion by 1194233 Ontario Inc.. at 3568 Barrie Hill Rd.

An application for the proposal was deemed complete by the township in February 2012. If council approves the bylaw Wednesday night, the applicant will still need to get a licence of approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) under the Aggregate Resource Act and comply with any site-specific and holding provisions implemented by Springwater council through a zoning amendment.

But the People vs. Pits in Centre Vespra group, whose members are homeowners in the village, are still concerned about the impact the new gravel pit, if allowed to proceed, could have on the community.

David Aves, spokesman for the group, said he expects more than 120 opponents to the proposal to attend the council meeting to emphasize the importance of the issue to local residents.

Reports from Springwater Township “fail to adequately address legitimate and ongoing concerns which require greater research and consideration in order to safely protect existing and future residents, and their environment,” he said. “I think it requires more analysis than what we’re seeing from Springwater.”

Morris Elbers, another member of People vs. Pits in Centre Vespra, made a deputation to Springwater council last month where he implored councillors to turn down the proposed bylaw amendment.

“A growing number of Centre Vespra residents object to the rezoning. An aggregate pit in the proximity of our settlement area has the potential to cause adverse effects and negative impacts on the health, safety, quality of life and well-being of our residents, our properties, the natural environment and the environment,” he said during his deputation.

Springwater Township manager of planning Brent Spagnol said if the draft bylaw — and the accompanying zoning bylaw and holding provision — is passed, there are still many conditions the applicant would have to abide by.

“The holding provision says before they can extract any aggregate, there are certain conditions that have to be satisfied before they can move forward,” he said.

The draft zoning bylaw that is going to be considered by council for approval establishes permitted uses on the property which includes the hold provision, which means there are certain provisions under that hold which have to be satisfied before the use applies to that piece of land.

The zoning bylaw would not permit crushing of aggregate material, it does not permit extraction of materials within 30 metres of a roadway, or 15 metres of any adjoining property line, it requires at bare minimum of a 15-metre landscaped open-space buffer (over and above the 15 metres of any adjoining property line). It does not allow for extraction of the resources within a 120 metres of a residential, commercial, institutional or industrial zone and it does not allow for extraction of resources within 150 metres of any residential use.

Concrete ‘batching’ or asphalt plants, processing facilities, blasting or quarrying would also not be allowed.

“They are strictly using front-end loaders, excavators and things of that nature so there is no blasting,” Spagnol said

The holding provision would stipulate that Eek can’t extract anything until a number of items are completed to the satisfaction of the township — and under the Aggregate Resources Act — including not removing aggregate above the water table, he added.

“No extraction is to occur within two metres of the established water table. It would also establish an extraction limit of no more than 300,00 tons a year for both properties,” he said, adding they are already permitted to take that out. “They are not expanding what they’re allowed to take out.”

The developer is required to enter into an extractive operation agreement with the township, including specification of haul routes, hours of operation, necessary road improvements and a rehabilitation plan done to the satisfaction of the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA).

Other requirements of the hold provision include the developer agreeing to road improvements and haul routes to the satisfaction of the township and the County of Simcoe as well as entering into a groundwater monitoring and rare species transplantation program to the satisfaction of the township and the NVCA.

“The groundwater monitoring would essentially set up monitor stations to make sure the pit is not drawing from the groundwater or impacting that,” Spagnol said.

Noise, dust and vibrations from the property must also follow guidelines of provincial ministries.

Despite Springwater staff’s suggestion to council that the bylaw be approved, members of People vs. Pits in Centre Vespra are still concerned, Aves said.

“Our research confirms that other communities throughout southern Ontario are facing similar situations, which has resulted in the publication of a number of peer reports,” he said. “Should council approve this rezoning application, People vs. Pits in Centre Vespra has no intention of abandoning the cause.

“Eek has the right to apply for rezoning, of course he does. That’s his democratic right and he’s a taxpayer, too. But I think in this case it isn’t just about Eek and it isn’t just about People vs. Pits in Centre Vespra, it’s about the future of the community.

“The potential negative impact of the proposed application could be catastrophic and irreversible, especially if the intended safeguards prove to be inadequate and unenforceable,” he added. “It clearly, to my satisfaction, remains unresolved. (If it is approved), we’ll have another opportunity when it goes to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.”

Wednesday’s meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

Springwater residents not digging gravel pit plan

By Janis Ramsay Barrie Advance January 21 2016

Several Springwater Township residents hoped council would reject a rezoning application last night for a secondary gravel pit just north of Barrie.

John Eek and Son Ltd. have applied for an expansion beside their existing operation on Barrie Hill Road at Sunnidale Road.

“The Centre Vespra residents are trying to look after ourselves now and what could happen to us in the future,” Stone Gate resident Morris Elbers said. “Especially when we’re looking at our water issues, the noise, the dust control and traffic issues on County Road 40 and Barrie Hill Road itself.”

But John Eek and Son Ltd. general manager Darryl Eek said it would be business as usual.

“We’re just going to continue our operations the same way we have since we’ve been there. We haven’t caused any issues,” Eek said. “There’s nothing that’s really going to change.”

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