Farm markets rezoned, but Greenwich planning matters far from resolved

By Kirk Starratt

kstarratt@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

Kings County council has approved C13 (Farm Commercial) rezoning for Greenwich farm markets and sent the original application from four farmland owners to the planning advisory committee (PAC).

In a recorded vote, councillors voted 7-4 in favour of approving the C13 amendments at the Tuesday, Feb. 5 session. Then, on motion of Deputy Warden Diana Brothers, councillors approved sending the original application of four subject farmland owners to PAC to make a recommendation to council.

Over two years ago, four farm businessmen in the community – Doug Hennigar, Peter Elderkin, Hal Stirling and Harold Forsythe - had applied originally to have their land rezoned to C10 (Commercial) and R7 (Residential) and to have the hamlet boundary extended to include their properties to help facilitate municipal sewer and water service extensions.

Prior to the vote on C13, councillor Chris Parker, who represents Greenwich, said they had a total of 521 speakers or written submissions at the public hearing on the matter Thursday evening, Jan. 31. Of those, only 45 were in favour of C13 and 476 said to turn it down and give the landowners what they want.

He said these figures include all form letters, but don’t include a petition concerned residents circulated in the summer, because it was not conducted in direct relation to the C13 proposal.

Parker said, statistically, 8.6 per cent of people were in support of C13 and 91.4 per cent were against it. With actual residents of Greenwich, there were 114 submissions or speakers: 79 against C13 and 35 in favour.

“I’ve been attacked by many people saying I’m not listening to the wishes of the people,” Parker said, pointing out he thinks council has to listen and the people said to defeat C13 and make zoning in Greenwich the same from one end of the community to the other.

About personalities and politics

Councillor Madonna Spinazola said the Municipal Planning Strategy (MPS) recognizes that not all agricultural land in the county can be saved and, in growth areas, some will be used for other purposes. She said farmers need a plan to address urban sprawl and that plan is the MPS of 1979, which states that, in time, Greenwich would become part of the “urban corridor.”

She said she has been told by some residents that the Greenwich matter now has nothing to do with the protection of agricultural land or whether councillors are worthy stewards. It’s now all about personalities, politics, bullying and retaliation. She said she hopes disturbing allegations about backroom deals for votes being made among councillors are not true.

“That you may retain your self-respect, it’s better to displease the people with what you know is right than to temporarily please them with what you know is wrong,” she said.

Councillor Jim Taylor said, at the public hearing, someone alluded to councillors taking the easy way out when voting.

“For me, to make this decision was not and is not easy,” he said. “I understand the problems and the complications that are involved.”

Taylor said his principles are the only thing keeping him focused. His predecessor was a farmer who believed farmland should be protected and Taylor said he believes the same.

Councillor Janet Newton said it’s absolutely ludicrous that the world would practically come to an end if a small piece of Greenwich land zoning changed. She said PAC recommended C13, which doesn’t help the original applicants, then added that no further action would be taken, which is “mean-spirited to say the least.”

Councillor Eric Smith said that although he feels very strongly for both sides, he supports C13.

Off the tracks

Councillor John Fuller said council itself had put the whole process off the tracks. He said it would be better to go with the voice of the community, as has been done in Centreville, Coldbrook and Port Williams, and support a secondary planning strategy for Greenwich, which he has suggested all along.

“We were wrong as a council to move away from a secondary planning strategy (SPS),” Fuller said.

Councillor Wayne Atwater said he bases all his decisions on what is best for Kings County and he urged his colleagues to support C13.

Brothers questioned the legitimacy of the addendum to the C13 motion for council to approve it and take no further action. She asked if she could attempt an amendment.

Municipal Solicitor Don Urquhart said a new motion would have to be made to direct PAC to do something else and approving the C13 motion wouldn’t disqualify council from taking some other action in the future.

Warden Fred Whalen said it was he, at PAC, who made the motion for the C13 zoning and when he said “and take no further action,” he didn’t intend the last line to be included as a formal part of the motion.

Citizens respond

During the public comment period at the end of the council session, Leslie Wade thanked council for approving the C13 zoning for Greenwich farm markets, but said she found it contradictory to send the landowners’ original application back to PAC.

Audrey Haig-Stewart said a statement had been made pointing out the centuries of history the families of the subject landowners have in the community. She said that seems to afford special status. However, she thinks it’s what you do as an individual that’s important.

“This is the first time I’ve been made to feel like a second-class citizen in an area I’ve made a contribution for the last 25 years,” she said.

Linda Best said the decisions made by council to protect the rare commodity of good farmland would hopefully be something future generations could look back on with respect.