Singhampton gas bar renovation to include Tim Hortons

A public meeting was held Sept. 13 to hear feedback on a proposed renovation to a commercial property at 794047 County Road 124 in Singhampton, which would include an addition and partial demolition.
The application will facilitate an addition to an existing gas station and convenience store structure for the establishment of a drive-through Tim Hortons restaurant. Drive-through customers would queue at the back of the building, adjacent to existing agricultural lands.
The applicant, JKI Canada Utilities Inc., seeks to demolish a portion of the existing commercial building containing an existing motel and construct a new addition to the northwest side of the structure that is to remain. An existing LCBO retail outlet is also proposed to be established within a portion of the existing convenience store component of the commercial building.
“As part of this development the site plan will be improved and the functionality of the site and drive-through access points hopefully will be better as a result of this upgraded design,” said planner Kristine Loft, representing JKI.
The owner is looking for exceptions to the zoning bylaw for a reduction in the number of parking spaces from 31 to 23 and other specifics including setbacks.
A proposed reduction to the drive-through stacking lane setback requirement at the rear property line from five metres to 1.3 metres is cause for concern for neighbouring farmers Judy Ferguson and her son Chris Ferguson.
They urge Clearview councillors to visit the site before making any decisions because the setback would make for an unpleasant experience for drive-through customers who are being served while farm machinery is going by at the that proximity, stirring up dust. They worry that it will result in complaints.
In addition to traffic and safety concerns, they say garbage is a problem. Bags of litter that are strewn on the field have to be picked up each spring before the crops are planted.
“The drive-through will only increase the amount of garbage,” said Judy. “It’s a health concern and it’s annoying, very annoying.”