An updated snow-dump facility is one step closer to becoming a reality in Guelph-Eramosa Township.
On Sept. 5 the township held a public meeting to discuss the City of Guelph’s zoning bylaw amendment application to expand its snow dump facility at 7263 Wellington Road 124, just west of the city.
“It’s actually been used for this purpose for 29 or more years,” said Guelph’s consultant project manager Shannon Richardson.
“But the city suspects the snow has actually been hauled to this location for longer than that.”
A zoning bylaw amendment is required because the land is zoned agricultural and the township zoning bylaw does not allow for community facilities on agricultural lands.
Guelph trucks currently dump the snow onto the ground at the facility and Richardson said it permeates through the sand and gravel – but if it doesn’t infiltrate it flows into the Speed River.
“Currently there’s no treatment train in effect,” she said. “So the MOECC (Ministry of Environment and Climate Change) … recommended modifications to the current operation so that they were more in line with the 2011 guidance that was released by them.”
The city is proposing to install an asphalt pad with a clay liner to act as a snow dumping site.
Surface water will flow into a lined storm water pond and vegetative swales around the property will help direct the water and filter out sentiment and garbage, Richardson explained.
At specific time the water from the storm water pond will be distributed to the Speed River.
There will also be a berm constructed along the southwest corner of the pad to help mitigate noise and improve aesthetics.
“There won’t be a direct line of sight as motorists are driving along the road towards the asphalt pad and similarly the majority of the residents will be behind that berm from a line-of-sight perspective,” Richardson.
In the future the site could also be used for temporary storage of excess soil, temporary storage of materials from forestry practices and temporary storage of street sweepings.
Mayor Chris White asked who would be responsible if there was contamination from the street sweepings or excess soil.
Richardson said that the City of Guelph is responsible for and tests anything it accepts at that property.
White said he wants to know that if there’s an environmental issue with the site it will be the City of Guelph’s responsibility to fix it.
“If there’s human error in things, people make mistakes, so if there was an MOE or some liability down the road you’re footing the bill and you’re fixing the problem?” he asked.
“That’s all I’m asking, appreciating that you’ll be analyzing everything you have.”
Terry Gayman, manager of development and environmental engineering for the City of Guelph, responded saying, “Although I’m not a lawyer, my understanding is that yes that would all be with the city.”
White asked that be made clear in the application.
There was only one party in attendance that opposed the expansion of the facility.
2086042 Ontario Ltd. is the company that owns a vacant lot across from the snow dump facility. In the studies, it was identified that there would be noise impacts on the company’s undeveloped lot.
“That’s located in the City of Guelph and right now it’s a vacant parcel but it’s zoned for multiple residential use up to a maximum of four storeys,” said township planning consultant Dan Currie.
“So as I said the noise impact study identified that there would be negative impacts.”
The owner of the property and the City of Guelph are currently in discussions to resolve the issue.
