WELLINGTON NORTH – John and Helena Klassen will have to shell out a chunk of cash to appease the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) if they ever hope to build a new home on their property.
The Klassens want to rezone a vacant 1.21 acre parcel in Arthur fronting Wellington Rd 109 to build a house.
The land presently has “highway commercial” zoning with a provision allowing commercial tourist uses and an accessory single detached dwelling. The Klassens want the portion rezoned to unserviced residential.
In 2018, an adjacent property zoned the same as the Klassen’s land was permitted to be rezoned to unserviced residential – exactly what the Klassens are requesting.
But the GRCA says they’re uncomfortable providing input on the application until a geotechnical report and site plan examining erosion can be produced because of a “significant slope and hazard lands” on the property.
GRCA resource planning supervisor Fred Natolochny wrote to township development clerk Tammy Pringle: “Information currently available at this office indicates that portions of the subject lands are regulated by the GRCA due to the presence of steep slope and erosion hazards.
“A permit would be required from our office for construction and grading within the regulated area.”
Natolochny also specified a “report should demonstrate how development may be accommodated without increase to life or property damage.”
The Klassens will be billed $445 for the GRCA’s efforts.
“Most of my property, or that property, is not on a slope,” John explained to councillors. “The very back end would be but there’s woods there, trees, and I’m not planning on going back there.”
John questioned if the GRCA’s maps were wrong and asked if anyone had actually stepped foot on the property.
Township operations director Matt Aston told council the GRCA letter “informs us in our decision making” and county planner Matthieu Daoust reminded council the decision to rezone the land was ultimately theirs.
Despite John’s comments, Mayor Andy Lennox said, “we certainly don’t want to see something built there and have it slide down the slope into the river.”
“Really the recommendation is to wait [until] we get feedback from the GRCA to see if this issue gets resolved before proceeding with the rezoning,” Lennox said.
A vote on whether the land is rezoned or not is pending GRCA feedback, which pends on the Klassens obtaining a geotechnical report.
