Puslinch councillor Don McKay hinted mediation with the City of Guelph could be an option for the Milburn Auto Sales file, but it seems the matter will likely be solved at an Ontario Municipal Board hearing.
“It might give [the city] a chance to reconsider,” McKay said last week of mediation.
Mayor Brad Whitcombe said if all parties involved agreed to mediation he would not have a problem with it, but he thought Milburn officials wanted to proceed with a hearing as soon as possible.
“They didn’t seem to be interested in mediation,” said Whitcombe.
Robert Milburn refused to say if he would be willing to consider mediation but stressed he wanted to proceed as soon as possible with the relocation of his business.
“We want to build a great environment … and keep our people working at a time when there’s not a lot of work to be had,” he said on Monday.
Milburn said the city is showing little compassion for the people affected by its plans to close Maltby, Clair and Crawley Roads for work on the Hanlon Expressway.
“Our access would be cut off completely,” he said.
On Oct. 21 Puslinch council approved a zoning amendment bylaw to allow Milburn Auto Sales, currently located on Crawley Road in Guelph, to relocate to 219 Brock Road North (County Road 46) in Puslinch.
The company plans a 1,000 square metre building and the outdoor display of up to 170 vehicles on the 1.85 hectare privately serviced lot.
But the city subsequently filed an appeal to the OMB. According to Guelph policy planner Greg Atkinson, the city objected to the proposal because:
– it is in violation of the provincial policy that prohibits urban land uses in rural areas;
– the city and county official plans prohibit new development within one kilometre of existing urban areas;
– the business does not qualify as a “small scale” commercial development that is allowed in secondary agricultural areas; and
– it is located within the Paris-Galt moraine, which plays an important role in groundwater recharge in the area.
County planner Aldo Salis has acknowledged the proposed land is within 1km of the city border and would usually fall under the county’s “fringe development” guidelines.
However, Salis added the Milburn application is not a concern, and the land is already zoned commercial (it was once home to a meat and cheese operation).
