A last-ditch effort by two West Ferris residents to try and convince North Bay City Council to reject a rezoning application that would put industry in their neighbourhood, failed to sway the majority of council.
Councillor Mark King was the only elected official at Tuesday’s council meeting, to vote against rezoning certain lands on Legault Street and Birchs Road from a Residential Holding zone to a General Industry and Open Space Zone.
Council has heard from upset residents at previous council meetings, some who have lived in the area for over 40 years, objecting to the rezoning proposal by DeLoyde Development Solutions on behalf of its clients.
They cited additional traffic, increased noise, environmental impacts, scheduled hours for rock blasting, snow dumping, the potential impact on wells, a decrease in property values and general disruption to their quality of life as reasons against the rezoning.
Leo DeLoyde, whose company is representing Mark and Tammy Truchon and a numbered company in regard to the Legault subdivision, told council that a number of concessions have been made.
“We have worked hard to address all the neighbours' concerns and are prepared to make special commitments to address those concerns beyond the normal by-law minimums for blasting,” DeLoyde told council.
“The plan promotes sustainable growth while permanently protecting 12 acres of natural habitat in the vicinity of the pond. Special stormwater management features will prevent downstream flooding and ensure the gradual release of clean water to area marshes and watercourses.”
There is still much more work to be done on stormwater management.
“We need to go through the detailed stormwater management studies and design for the subdivisions. So, we still have a way to go,” said DeLoyde.
“Every development in the city has an impact on stormwater and stormwater runoff, and flooding is a big concern. We’re going to be very carefully designing the stormwater management systems to contain water from parking lots and rooftops and not create any flooding downstream. We are able to engineer that and clean the water up as it is on its way through the wetlands and watercourses.”
He also addressed the matter of runoff from the snow dumping.
“It will be captured and rerouted and properly dealt with, and that is part of the compliance commitment made to the community.”
Councillor King said it wasn’t enough to convince him to vote in favour of the rezoning application.
“It is a neighbourhood. It is people. It is the fact that people live in that area. People will be affected by the development. When they moved there, they were under the impression that zoning and official plans would protect them, and it didn’t,” said King.
“This will be an ongoing story about how industrial land in close proximity to residential land creates a conflict, and that is what this is all about. We’ll hear more about it in the future I’m sure.”
DeLoyde says the plan has been “flexibly designed” to cater to a range of industries ranging from start-ups to larger more established industries.
He says the subdivision will provide new employment opportunities, contributing to North Bay’s “economic prosperity.”
“We have some interest in developing approximately six acres already.”
Some of those businesses are from other parts of the province, as well as local companies looking to expand. The goal is to begin construction later in the year.
