Erin council has deferred a motion to support the expansion amendments of Halton Crushed Stone (HCS) until the next council meeting.
Councillor Rob Smith requested the deferral on April 17 to get further feedback from the public on new concessions made by HCS at the meeting.
HCS is applying for an official plan amendment (OPA) for one portion of its northward expansion (southwest of the 10th Line) that is already zoned for aggregate extraction, and an OPA and zoning amendment for the other portion of the expansion (northeast of the 10th line).
The expansion would extend the pit on both sides of the 10th Line from Sideroad 10 to Wellington Road 52, adding 150 acres to the existing pit.
The current gravel pit was originally licensed in the 1970s under previous owner Dufferin Aggregates. Halton Crushed Stone (HCS) bought the property in 2014 and has been extracting aggregate since.
Land use planner James Parkin of MHBC Planning, speaking for HCS, presented four additional conditions to the application as a response to comments at a public meeting on March 6.
“This proposal has been thoroughly reviewed; we’re pleased with the process that has been followed,” said Parkin.
“We value the input from the community and the dialogue we’ve had with the community.”
The four additional conditions are:
– a time limit of two years, from removal to completion, of extraction within 185 metres of the urban boundary;
– monitoring of water quality down gradient of recycling areas;
– early planting of trees in the northwest corner of phase one, following approval of planning applications (rather than within one year of a licence); and
– annual application of calcium chloride flake to the 10th line from entrance to Wellington Road 52 (in addition to any normal town maintenance) and clean up any aggregate products spilled on Wellington Road 52 by trucks leaving the site.
Parkin also said he hopes the application moves forward with approval from the current council, prior to the fall municipal election.
“You’ve come to the site, you’ve heard the public submissions, you’ve had the phone call, the emails, you’ve heard from us directly several times on it,” he said.
“It’s reasonable, we think, for this matter to move through the next stages of decision making and have this council deal with it.”
Erin council will first provide comments (in support or opposition) to the county on the official plan amendment. If approved by the county, the application will come back to Erin council for a zoning bylaw and Erin official plan amendment.
County planner Aldo Salis spoke to council, in front of a packed council chamber, to provide background on the pit expansion application.
“In our view, the establishment of the proposed aggregate extractive use pursuant to the prescribed conditions, technical recommendations, monitoring programs, and operational requirements of the revised site plans will assist in ensuring that the proposed expansion site can be undertaken in a manner that will minimize social, economic and environmental impacts as required by [the province] and the County Official Plan,” stated Salis in his report.
He said the application is consistent with appropriate planning and land use documents.
Councillor Jeff Duncan asked about the operation hours compared to hours of activity.
“The activity that goes on before 7am is the shipping, that can start at 6am,” said Parkin. “It’s common practice for all the pits in this area because the material has to be at the job site at 7am.”
He added there is a lower acceptable noise level before 7am and those conditions will be met.
Councillor John Brennan asked how water monitoring from the recycled aggregates would work.
“I would rely on the hydrogeological consultant to give me the very technical specifics of it,” said Parkin, adding the idea is to have a well on the pit floor with samples taken frequently.
Brennan said he would like to see tests for leeching of hazardous chemicals from the recycled aggregates.
“By the time it gets into the ground water, and your monitoring it at a well, then it’s already there,” he said.
Parkin said HCS can ask for recommendations from the hydrogeologists on the best testing methods.
Smith asked for a deferral of the decision.
“I think everybody’s working together here,” he said. “Having this information in front of me certainly does address some of the things that went above and beyond what the proponent has to do. I haven’t had a chance to really go over this and I would really like to have an opportunity for the citizens to have at least a week … to chime in on if these are acceptable.”
Council agreed to defer the decision until May 15.
