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Kincardine dumps proposed Natural Heritage System designation By Liz Dadson |
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 A crowd fills the Kincardine council chamber last night, objecting to a proposed Natural Heritage System designation  Planning maps show the original designations (L) and the new designations, put forward by the steering committee, which exempt the area south of Inverhuron (orange section at the top end) | ||||
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After five years of hard work by the Natural Heritage Steering Committee and the Bruce County planning department, Kincardine council has decided to scrap the proposed Natural Heritage System designation. The council chamber was packed last night (Sept. 29) for a special meeting of the planning advisory committee to deal with this proposal. The area affected is along the lakeshore, between Inverhuron and just north of Ward 1. Most of the landowners came to an initial meeting March 10, upset that their property was going to be re-designated but they had no input into the process. County planner Bruce Stickney explained the proposed amendment to the Kincardine Official Plan which would implement the Natural Heritage Study. The study was completed last spring and a consultant hired to determine how best to implement it.
Bruce County planner Bruce Stickney After the March 10 meeting, several modifications were made to the amendment, as requested by various landowners. Stickney said the amendment would change land-use designations to shoreline infill residential, shoreline community and Natural Heritage System, from the current shoreline development and hazard lands. The idea is to protect the natural heritage features of the lakeside properties, including wetlands and significant woodlands, he said. Initially, Stickney indicated the changes on Map 1 which was recommended by the steering committee. It shows the area just south of Inverhuron as exempt from the Natural Heritage System until the Environmental Assessment for Inverhuron water and sewers is completed. However, Stickney, recommended Map 2 which leaves that area south of Inverhuron as Natural Heritage System. The majority of the public disagreed with either map and urged council to get rid of the Natural Heritage System designation entirely. Allen Wickert said the study was adopted without any of the landowners understanding the implications of it. In many cases, it restricts development on their property, even though they have been good stewards of the land. "If the landowners had been invited to the discussions of this proposal, the outcome would have been very different," he said. Several people said they were not even aware that there were two sets of designations - Map 1 and 2 - being proposed at the meeting last night, and many said the entire proposal is confusing and difficult to understand. Meaghan Daniel said her family is opposed to any amendment to the Official Plan, allowing this new designation. "We've spent a lot of time trying to understand this," she said, "and tonight, we find out there are two sets of designations? Are you kidding?" Valerie M'Garry, a municipal law specialist retained by Norm Campbell and his family, alluded to problems with the entire process for arriving at the Natural Heritage System designation. "I had requested formal notice but I was not informed of this meeting," she said. "That would not look good if this were to go to an OMB (Ontario Municipal Board) hearing, which is quite possible."
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 Planner Bruce Stickney presented this new map as his recommendation which includes the area south of Inverhuron as Natural Heritage System designation Jackie Mann of Toronto stated that she and her brothers and sisters inherited from their father, a property in Lorne Beach and were hoping to build homes and retire there. However, with this new designation, that would not be possible. "What's driving this process?" she asked. "It affects a lot of people but just a few are making the decision. It will have huge implications on how we enjoy our property and it's not even understood by many of those affected. This is a great community and we'd like to build our homes here and retire here." Councillor Guy Anderson suggested slowing down the process and inviting the affected landowners to offer alternate proposals. Councillor Mike Leggett said council is jumping the gun by implementing this new designation. "We shouldn't be telling people how to develop their land before they even come in and ask," he said. Deputy mayor Laura Haight said the steering committee was trying to create a balance between the natural lakeshore features and residential development. But the proposal oversteps the Inverhuron Environmental Assessment so she said council should dispense with it. "Let's rip the band-aid off, and look at other policies for the land down there," she said. Councillor Kenneth Craig suggested deferring the issue or tabling it. However, mayor Larry Kraemer said the proposal lost his support a long time ago. "We inherited this from the previous council and we agreed we would not leave this unresolved," he said. "I'm a landowner and if my property was in the affected area, I'd be out in there in the audience too. I'm not sure why this situation cannot be addressed with a tree retention policy. "This took five years and got us nowhere. There is no law that says we have to do this. Let's kill this sucker." In a recorded vote, the planning advisory committee unanimously rejected the recommendation to adopt the Official Plan amendment. Council endorsed that vote. This was greeted with a huge round of applause from the audience.
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