Guelph-Eramosa is making headway in removing the future major roadway designation from lands in the southwest end of the township.
At the Sept. 6 meeting council removed the holding provision on the five properties in question within the rural employment area.
“The township needs this land desperately for growth,” Mayor Chris White said. “So we can’t have a phantom highway that’s never going to be built.”
However Wellington County must approve an official plan amendment to remove the future major roadway designation before the hold can be removed.
The holding provision was on the lands to allow for a future provincial highway to run between the City of Guelph and the Township of Woolwich/City of Cambridge.
“With the province now they’ve stated their intention to abandon the current designation for the highway corridor there and that leaves it up to the township here to remove those,” said MHBC planning representative Mitchell Avis said.
Guelph-Eramosa Township has initiated an official plan amendment to remove the future major roadway designation from the privately owned lands, Avis said.
If the amendment goes through Avis said there would be no change to the rural industrial designations on the land.
“That will be the zone that’s in place on these lands moving forward regulating land uses and zoning on those properties,” Avis said.
Councillor Corey Woods suggested that the county would have to take a look at Wellington Road 124.
“If we want more commercial industrial in there they have to be able to actually access those properties,” he said.
Whoever, White reminded council that what happened to the lands would be up to the private owners.
“Remember this is privately held land so a lot of this will be driven by property owners,” he said. “As things come forward the county roads committee will try to work as much as possible.”
The public meeting for the Wellington County official plan amendment is scheduled for Oct. 3 at 7pm at the Guelph-Eramosa municipal office in Brucedale.
