Viewscape protected

Clearview Council has voted to protect one of the area’s impressive views from the sight of wind turbines before it’s too late.

At the Monday, October 21 Council meeting, Councillors decided to adopt a heritage conservation project that will preserve the viewscape spanning the westerly half of the Township, to and from the Niagara Escarpment corridor.

“There is an urgency with viewscapes because they are under the potentially biggest threat of new structures,” said Shawn Davidson, Councillor for Ward 7, who made the motion to support the viewscape protection project.
“Overwhelmingly, in voting on different motions over the last couple of years, the majority of Council has not been in favour of industrial wind turbines in Clearview Township.”

In addition to focusing on the viewscape, the Clearview Planning Department gave Council three other options to choose from. One was to create a comprehensive heritage conservation program. Another aimed to establish a township-wide heritage register for the built and cultural heritage assets in the municipality. A final option was to hold off on the project at this time.

At a public meeting in June, fifty-three per cent of feedback from members of the public supported a heritage conservation project that would focus on the downtown cores and settlement areas. Thirty-five per cent indicated they would like to recognize rural areas and the viewscape in the short term.

“A lot of people looked at heritage conservation as buildings and structures, but it’s a balance of prioritizing,” Davidson explained, adding that the Township’s time and resources had to be taken into account when making the decision about which option to move forward with right now.

However, he said that the project will evolve over time, and it could eventually encompass all of the other options, too.

“You have to start somewhere, and you can start with the viewscapes before moving to the villages and towns and buildings,” Davidson said.

The Township’s next step is to consult with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport before preparing a new report for Council.