It’s a case of birds delaying birdies – and maybe some pars and bogies, too.
County council has held off on a decision for an official plan amendment that would permit a golf course for Drayton until the fate of the bobolink is resolved.
The official plan amendment would have redesignated an area from future development and prime agricultural land to residential and recreational and permitted a nine hole golf course along with a subdivision. The property is located at Part Lots 17 and 18, Concession 10, in old Maryborough township.
The land is also behind the existing phase one of Glenaviland subdivision at the north entrance to Drayton, on the west side of County Road 8.
The area affected by the proposal is about 122 acres.
The county planning committee had recommended approval of the plan, pending any comments received from the Grand River Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Natural Resources.
But planning committee chairman Shawn Watters announced at council that the committee was withdrawing the recommendation for now.
He told council that was “pending comment from the MNR. Development of that particular property cannot satisfy the ministry at this time.”
Watters said the reason is the bobolink. It has been designated as a threatened species, and the Ministry of Natural Resources is undertaking studies of the birds’ habitat.
“We gave tentative approval at the committee level based on satisfying the ministry requirements,” Watters said in an interview last week. “They’re not sure of the requirements of the bobolink.”
The MNR is looking into habitat protection regulations. for the bobolink, which does not qualify for status of critically endangered, vulnerable, or near threatened.
The bobolink ranges across 46 jurisdictions spanning North, Central, and South America. Its plight in Ontario has led to a study that could affect the way farmers work. The bird nests in long grasses, and because there is little of that natural growth in Ontario, hay fields are its second choice.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture has called on the Ontario government to investigate the situation leading to the bobolink being declared as “threatened.”
As for the Drayton development, the planning committee heard that the community is already under serviced for its 25 years population forecast by 42 housing units.
The planning report noted that the 196 proposed units is higher than the under supply, but it still “makes sense to plan this block of land in its entirety and control growth through phasing as is proposed by the developer.”
The report said that the block of land is the last that can be developed within the northwest quadrant of the Drayton urban centre. Different phases would be controlled through holding zones in the zoning bylaw.
That means Mapleton council could control the rate of growth by releasing phases of development when it is satisfied there is sufficient servicing capacity available and there is a need for additional housing units. The township has already allocated sewage capacity to service phase one, 32 housing units, as well as the golf course club house. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs has already pointed out that the sewage lagoon does not have enough capacity to service all 196 housing units.
The report also stated that a study of the area also turned up a single snapping turtle, and that species is now designated as one of “special concern.” The report said there were no snapping turtle nests observed, and Watters indicated the turtle is no longer an issue when it comes to the development.
The county report said that a golf course could provide benefits for Drayton. Those include:
– tourism and a complement to Drayton Theatre;
– local economic opportunities for sub trades and suppliers, employment for up to 10 to 12 people for ongoing maintenance, and employment for 20 to 40 people in the clubhouse;
– provision for a local banquet hall and catering facilities;
– attract newcomers to Drayton with residences associated with the golf course;
– reduce driving distances and provide golf opportunities for Drayton and local area; and
– potentially provide some off season use of the golf course lands for such things as trails and cross-country skiing.
Watters said the county will wait for the MNR comments before it makes its final decision on the official plan amendment.
