Native Information
Printed Feb 22, 2024 • 6 minute learn
Saugeen Shores hosted a public assembly Feb. 20 to collect feedback a couple of proposed rezoning to permit a concrete manufacturing plant and a future PVC extrusion facility between Port Elgin and Southampton on Freeway 21 and Bruce Rd. 3. A employees report is pending. Photograph by City of Saugeen Shores
Article content material
4 residents voiced considerations and requested questions on a proposed rezoning to allow a concrete manufacturing plant and a future PVC vinyl plant on agricultural land at a public assembly to collect enter on the Carson’s utility hosted by the City Feb. 20.
This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues under.
Article content material
In an info report Bruce County senior planner Coreena Smith stated Carson’s Provide needs to partially relocate and develop from its Goderich St. plant to a its property between Port Elgin and Southampton with entry on Bruce Rd. 3 and frontage on Freeway 21.
The land is designated and primarily zoned agricultural, and the proposed industrial makes use of should not permitted, prompting Carson’s functions for a rezoning and Official Plan modification.
If accredited, the plan features a concrete and future PVC vinyl amenities, outside storage, parking, and a storm water administration pond. A Holding provision prevents growth till research, together with an archaeological evaluation, are accomplished.
Smith stated they acquired 31 written submissions – most elevating considerations or opposition but in addition feedback in assist – and an internet petition in opposition to the proposal.
This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues under.
Article content material
On behalf of Carson’s, agent Dana Kieffer, a senior growth planner with Cobide Engineering, stated Carson’s has operated a concrete forming and PVC manufacturing enterprise on Goderich St. in Port Elgin for 40 years and desires to develop on a 13.5-ha portion of its 50.5-ha property adjoining to SouthPort Church, a number of properties, golf programs and business companies for enlargement.
“It is projected that 50 additional jobs are expected at full buildout,” Kieffer stated, including lots of the letters of concern handled vinyl chloride. She stated like the method now used at Carson’s Goderich St. plant, PVC pellets can be melted and shaped or extruded.
She stated a brand new deep bedrock aquifer nicely would alleviate considerations concerning the potential impression on the water desk; the manufacturing processes wouldn’t create wastewater; and a buffering berm on three sides of the property would assist with compatibility considerations with neighbours.
This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues under.
Article content material
“In conclusion, there is a lack of suitable employment lands within the settlement area that offer that required buffer between residential and manufacturing uses, along with the size that is sufficient for the proponent’s outdoor storage needs,” Kieffer stated.
She stated they meet the assessments of the land not being a specialty crops space; it meets distance separations; there may be an recognized employment land shortfall; and there’s a lack of enormous employment websites in Bruce County; they usually checked out different websites, however none had been appropriate.
Resident Wanda Dzierzanowski, who lives 2 kilometres south of the proposed website, raised considerations with a possible improve in industrial site visitors in an already busy accident-prone space, and with the toxicity of merchandise fabricated on the facility.
This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues under.
Article content material
“Also, I’m concerned about the volatility of concrete itself – volatile organic compounds irritate eyes, skin and respiratory systems …” she stated, itemizing a bunch of well being issues she stated are linked to each concrete and PVCs.
Lawyer Steven O’Melia, showing by way of Zoom, stated his shoppers, whose property abuts the Carson’s land, have apparent considerations with the compatibility of heavy industrial use within the countryside.
He stated the applicant’s resolution to its acknowledged issues with noise and dirt from residents close to its Goderich St. location is to maneuver a part of it to a brand new location with “new residents” who will equally be offended.
O’Melia requested councillors to take a “hard look” at Carson’s website seek for different places and stated whereas he appreciates the applicant elevating financial growth, elevated taxes and employment profit points, “this is a planning decision and council has to wear its planning hat…” he stated.
This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues under.
Article content material
Space resident Rachel Buhler, additionally showing by way of Zoom, stated she and her husband moved to Southampton from Toronto in 2022, primarily to get away from mud, noise, site visitors of the town and its industrial zones.
“So, it was extremely dismaying to us to discover that this proposal was in the works…” she stated, including industrial use in an agricultural space is “disheartening” and doesn’t make any sense.
Buhler repeated considerations she listed in a letter to the City concerning the volatility of vinyl chloride fuel, which is a non-threshold carcinogen, asking the proponent to search out one other location additional away from individuals readily available designated for industrial use.
Paul Galbraith is anxious the proposal would devalue land within the space so “someone else can make money.” He stated his son has bronchial asthma and it’s not “fair” that they’ve to maneuver due to this proposal.
Commercial 7
This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues under.
Article content material
“I do feel it’s a specialty crop area… potatoes have been grown there for years so it is prime (agricultural) land,” Galbraith stated, including the bylaws say prime agricultural land can’t be used for concrete crops, but that’s what is being thought-about “against your own bylaws,” he stated.
Throughout questions from councillors for clarification, Coun. Cheryl Grace requested if there can be any new manufacturing or scope of manufacturing on the new facilites.
Marketing consultant Keiffer stated at the moment concrete is trucked to Carson’s Port Elgin facility, however it could be manufactured on the new location, and there’d be no change within the PVC course of, however manufacturing would double from the Goderich St. location.
By means of questions from Coun. Bud Halton, the marketing consultant stated there is no such thing as a off-gassing from the PVC extrusion course of, and reiterated that the brand new amenities would use 13.5 ha of the 50.5 ha website.
Commercial 8
This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues under.
Article content material
Coun. Dave Myette continued with the dimensions of the property in query – noting the positioning would use 33 of the 150 acres or about 25 p.c of the full website space. He additionally requested about water utilized in concrete or PVC manufacturing and Kieffer stated it’s a closed system that doesn’t create wastewater.
Coun. Rachel Stack stated the proposal would create a “fairly significant optical divide” that timber may not adequately block and requested for “some comfort” concerning the seek for alternate places.
Keiffer stated they checked out fairly just a few websites however none checked the containers just like the proposed location with its easy accessibility to Freeway 21 and three-phase energy, issues they lose with extra rural places that make them much less viable choices.
Commercial 9
This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues under.
Article content material
Coun. Stack famous Carson’s was denied a website within the City’s Innovation Park, a brand new enterprise park on Concession 6 on the south finish of Port Elgin, speculating it was as a result of it wasn’t modern however industrial.
She stated that continues to be her problem with the Innovation Park that doubtlessly is a greater land use for Carson’s. “But now we’re put in this position where we’re making a decision that obviously has some community challenges,” Stack stated.
Vice Deputy mayor Mike Myatt requested if the Ministry of Surroundings controls use of poisonous vinyl chloride and if the hearth division is supplied to deal with a “major explosion” involving toxins.
Kieffer the Carson’s doesn’t manufacture PVCs, however uncooked pellets are trucked in, melted and molded or extruded, and the method is “quite significantly safer” than PVC manufacturing and doesn’t require a ministry allow.
Commercial 10
This commercial has not loaded but, however your article continues under.
Article content material
Myatt expressed his frustration with the shortage of commercial land zoned to be used like Carson’s Provide is proposing.
Smith stated the subsequent steps embody reviewing all the data from the general public assembly with City employees, commenting companies, the hearth chief, and have a dialogue with the applicant if revisions or extra info is required earlier than planning employees current a suggestion for approval of the rezoning, or not.
Smith stated a public assembly shall be scheduled for Carson’s associated Official Plan modification utility and employees will carry a suggestion to Bruce County council on that modification, and at a subsequent assembly would come to City Council with a suggestion report on the zoning bylaw modification.
Public submissions on the Carson’s Provide file are nonetheless being accepted.
Article content material
Share this text in your social community
