The ghosts of planning decisions past haunted city councillors Monday as they struggled to balance the needs of a business on Pioneer Road and the residents who live close by.
At issue was a request from Melissa Cotesta for rezoning of the property in order to permit a contractor’s yard and warehouse. The planned change sparked anger among residents in the area, who signed petitions against the plan, sent letters and spoke at the committee meeting.
The area has mixed zoning, and people live close to many industrial businesses, a conflict that occurs in several areas in Greater Sudbury and was allowed to happen before the city had strong planning policies.
“If we were to start from scratch, we would not be putting residential and industrial developments together,” said Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh.
Residents took to the microphone during the public hearing part of the meeting to oppose the rezoning, in particular a plan to have a gated entrance from Desloges Road on the other side of property.
Area resident Kim Hynes said Desloges is used by students, pedestrians, families walking their children and others heading to Richard Lake. Allowing more heavy trucks to access the property from the roadway is a bad mix.
“We'll be forced to share the road with the traffic,” Hynes said. “The road is not built to sustain such use. Many children travel that road to get to the beach.”
If the committee approves the rezoning, she asked the gated access be removed from Desloges, and the business access the property from Pioneer Road only.
She also wanted the city to take any steps possible to “reduce any additional traffic and noise.”
Pioneer Road resident Angelina Tang said she wanted the committee to know first-hand “the hardship and stress to my family and neighbourhood” that transport trucks cause people in the area.
“All because of the transports,” she said.
Tang said the dust kicked up by the heavy trucks has affected her health and led to serious breathing problems.
“It has destroyed me,” she said. “Residential and industrial don't belong together ... I have called and complained many times, but nothing changes.”
Matt Dumont, of Tulloch Engineering and representing the property owner, said the Desloges entrance was included to maintain a septic bed going in that area. The bed has to go in that part of the property because of an Official Plan requirement that says they have to be located 300 metres from nearby Richard Lake.
“That's why we located it in that area,” Dumont said.
“But is there really a need to have that entrance there?” asked Ward 4 Coun. Evelyn Dutrisac. “There are a lot of residents who are concerned ... Why could you not use that entrance from Pioneer Road?”
After a five-minute break to allow him to consult his client, he returned and agreed to the change.
McIntosh wondered if there was a way to remove industrial zoning in that area to get rid of the long-term land use conflicts.
“We would never permit this today, but we've inherited this,” she said.
It it possible to rezone and “take all the industrial properties (out) in this area?”
“Hypothecially, yes you could,” said Jason Ferrigan, the city's director of planning services.
But he said he wasn't sure if it has been done before in Ontario.
