ELORA – Elora may be getting another grocery store.
At a public planning meeting on June 28, Scott Patterson, of Patterson Planning Consultants, explained that the owner of property at 22 Park Road, and 82 and 92 Wellington Road 7, is seeking to build a comprehensive, planned commercial development on the site.
The Gorge Country Kitchen is at 82 Wellington Road 7 and beside it, the applicant is going through the permit system to build a fast-food restaurant. No zoning change is needed and therefore no public meeting is required for the changes planned for there.
The subject of the planning meeting was 22 Park Road, which is directly behind the Wellington Road 7 properties.
The plan is for a grocery store, but to do that requires an Official Plan amendment to change the land use designation from industrial to highway commercial, and a zoning amendment to change from M1 service industrial to C2 highway commercial.
One delegate, Dushan Divjac, spoke in favour of the proposal.
“I’m a recent resident to Elora and I think it would be beneficial in the area,” he said.
“We need another grocery store.”
However, Debra Kropf, who owns and operates the Geddes Street Market, was opposed.
Kropf said she’s had trouble finding staff, so she’s covering shifts on her own.
She considered opening a chain grocery store. “But I wanted this town to remain beautiful. That’s why I went independent. But I am not making money,” she said.
No other delegations came forward and council didn’t have many questions.
The matter will return to council at a future date.
