Duntroon quarry update
The Walker Aggregate Duntroon Quarry was the subject of another planning meeting at Clearview Township, this time to confirm that the status quo should be maintained.
The Walker operation consists of two quarry licences — the original Duntroon Quarry on the south side of Township Road 91 (formerly County Rd 91) and an expansion quarry on the north side. Currently, all processing and shipping activities take place at the original south-side quarry.
When the north-side expansion was approved, Clearview Township had entered into a legal agreement to close a portion of 91. The closure would have allowed Walker to transfer processing and shipping operations to the north-side expansion once there was sufficient space on the quarry floor to accommodate the plant.
Ellen Farris of MHBC Planning, speaking on behalf of Walker Aggregates, told a planning meeting this week that it was eventually determined the road closure and conveyance were not viable, and the agreement with the township was terminated. A tunnel was constructed under the road to move quarried materials from the north-side expansion site to the processing plant at the original quarry.
Farris says maintaining the status quo makes sense for a couple of reasons. “Using the existing entrance is safer. By relocating the entrance to the north side, trucks would have to make a left-hand turn off Township Road 91, creating a safety concern. Also, the existing plant is located on the quarry floor and is well screened from the view of passing traffic.”
An official plan amendment is required to permit continuation of processing and shipping from the south-side location for as long as extraction continues at either site. When the quarries are eventually depleted, the sites will be rehabilitated, and the pits will be allowed to fill with water, becoming man-made lakes.
Township staff have been instructed to prepare the official plan amendment for consideration at an upcoming council meeting. Once approved by the township, the amendment will be forwarded to Simcoe County for final approval.
Severance application
The planning committee also considered a severance application for 5840 County Road 9, just west of New Lowell. The farm, owned by Stephens and Company, includes a dwelling unit that is surplus to the farming operation.
Consultant Marie Leroux of Mountain Ridge Homes, speaking on behalf of the applicant, told the meeting the Stephens family has been farming in Clearview for 75 years, with a mix of crop production and livestock operations. They currently farm 11 parcels totalling 338.3 acres in Clearview, and an additional 44.5 hectares in Adjala-Tosorontio.
The application would sever 0.55 hectares at the southeast corner of the farm parcel at 5840 County Road 9. The retained 43.09-hectare parcel would be combined with the existing Stephens farm on the 3/4 Sideroad.
Councillor Robert McArthur said, “The fact that the surplus dwelling is located in the corner makes this a very straightforward matter. It’s preferable to carving out a dwelling lot from the middle of a farm.”
The purpose of the rezoning is to prohibit any residential use on the retained portion of the farm parcel. Township staff were instructed to prepare a bylaw for consideration at an upcoming council meeting.
