Following a meeting Friday morning where local residents confronted the town’s Planning and Development executive committee with evidence that certain property on Nelson Street had been designated a “park,” the Superintendent of Planning and Development found more recent documentation that showed this was not accurate.
Rick Hallam reported Friday afternoon that in 1998, council passed a new zoning bylaw (By-Law #8-98), which thereby repealed By-Law #8/77 and #8/77J (and by extension By-Law #72/90)—which included the previous designation of Lots 28-36 on the 1100 block of Nelson Street as a “park.”
“The only thing left standing from the earlier zoning bylaw was that the area be designated as ‘open space,’” he noted.
The bylaw brought forward by the group of residents was By-Law #72/90 (Amendment No. 34 to the Official Plan of the Fort Frances Planning Area), which was passed by a previous council on Nov. 26, 1990.
This bylaw amended the existing zoning bylaw (#8/77) and designated the area (Lots 28-36) as “open space” (being rezoned from Residential 2) with a “site specific provision” to be used as a park and playground.
This amendment to the official plan was approved by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing on July 16, 1992.
Hallam noted the Planning and Development executive committee will have to take this updated information into account when considering what to do about the property.
He said the fact the property no longer is designated as a “park” means the current council did nothing wrong when it declared the property surplus back in May.
But at the same time, Hallam added no one can say what the town will end up doing with the property.
“It’s a long, long ways from being finished,” he remarked. “What ends up happening with the land, and what the final designation will be, is up to the mayor and council.”
Hallam said the process of determining an appropriate use for the property began when a private citizen inquired about purchasing various lots from the town to develop into residential property, including the land on Nelson Street.
Being obligated to look into any such requests, council turned the matter over to the Planning and Development executive committee for review, which recommended the Nelson Street property be earmarked surplus, mainly on the grounds that it was vacant.
Council went on to deem it surplus property at a May meeting, at which time it directed the Planning and Development executive committee, which, in turn, sought input from the Planning Advisory Committee, to recommend the most appropriate use for the land.
In a memorandum to the Planning and Development executive committee Friday morning, the Planning Advisory Committee recommended the land be rezoned to Residential 2 and be divided into five lots for single detached dwellings.
But given the sudden turn of events at their meeting that morning, as well as the outcry from a group of 15-20 Nelson Street area residents, the Planning and Development executive committee agreed to table the issue for further discussion.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
