An attempt by Crystal North, a bottling company, to relocate its industrial plant into a residential area in Minnow Lake is expected to be met with stiff opposition, said John Lindsay, chair of the Minnow Lake Community Action Network.
Crystal North purchased an old Catholic church, Eglise de la Toussaint at the corner of Bellevue and Portage this fall because they want to relocate their existing bottling plant from Notre Dame Ave., said Lindsay.
“Crystal North is attempting to get a rezoning application from the city at Tuesday's planning committee meeting but from what I hear all three city departments, engineering, transportation and planning, have major concerns related to increased traffic, sewer use and planning precedents."
Crystal North was expected to hold a public meeting last tonight (Thursday) at the church. "Believe me there will be a lot more outrage expressed if there is a possibility this will go through,” Lindsay said.
City councillor Janet Gasparini met with the Minnow Lake Can in November.
"She was livid about the prospect of a new industrial application taking place in a residential area,” said Lindsay.
“From my experience in attending planning meetings like this, the city prefers to relocate industrial operations in existing city or private lands zoned for industrial users such as industrial parks. For a church or school, which tend to be located in residential areas, to be rezoned to industrial use is very rare-they usually are allowed to be taken over by non profit or service organizers,” he said.
The exception seems to be when an industrial user has been located in a residential area for a very long time, said Lindsay.
Of concern to Lindsay is that Crystal North has already established a loading door and moved industrial equipment inside the building prior to receiving official sanction from the planning committee and then city council.
“They have no permit to start their operations. How can they get away with that?,” asked Lindsay.
The planning meeting where the applicant will state their case for the rezoning application begins at 5:30 pm Tuesday, Jan. 8 at Tom Davies Square . For more information visit www.minnowlake.ca or go to the website of the city's planning department at www.planning.com and see the section under agenda.
