HOLY FREAKOLIE

This blogger will be the first to admit that I have been somewhat critical in my observations of the current and past Council, mostly in their lack of handling the mega quarry issue, openess and transparency, closed meetings, oh I could go on and on.

BUT this, this takes the cake.

At the November 3, 2011 meeting of Melancthon Council, they considered Geriatric Jorden's Planning Report titled: Initial Planning Considerations: Possible Township Industrial Park, Part Lot 13, Concession 4 NETSR, Melancthon.

Can't blame Ol Ger for producing the report, as Council would have needed to come up with this asinine idea.

But the first thing I note in this professional planning report, is NO map.  Not a single map of the area showing the location, existing land uses, etc. etc.

Small, I know, but I had to start with something positive.

They are proposing an industrial park on approximately 98.5 acres of land owned by the Municipality next to the dump.

I won't bore you with the astute observations provided in the report such as:
a portion of the property is located on and near provincially significant wetlands;
not consistent with the Provincial Policy statement that directs development to urban settlement areas;
must ensure the necessary infrastructure is provided;
subject lands are not consistent with growth management policies;
located on prime agricultural areas which shall be protected for long-term agricultural use;
no municipal services either water or sewage;

No, I won't dwell on any of that.

I will mention the studies that will be required after provincial consultation:
need/market study;
study demonstrating why a site in a prime agricultural area is needed;
a study demonstrating that there are no sites avaialble on lower priority lands;
noise and emissions study to determine potential impacts on sensitive uses;
documentation justifying and describing the proposed method of providing  water supply, sewage disposal and utilities to the proposed development;
stuides of soils, hydrology and hydrogeology;
evaulation of environmental impacts;
transportation study;
Stage 1 archeological study;

If SOME of these studies seem familiar they are. 

They are all the same ones Council told us they couldn't afford to do regarding the mega quarry, so they would just take a look at the information provided by Highlands. 

And the biggest problem with this industrial site idea?  This is NOT economic development in the new world.  This is the 1970's way of doing economic development, called chasing the smokestack.

Not only is Melancthon competing with neighbouring towns and municipalities for "industry", they are competing globally.

With no infrastructure in place, (meaning water, sewer, hydro etc.), hundreds of miles from a major transportation network and something called the US/Canada Border, the ONLY "industry" that would come near the place is a compost, crap plant or soil remediation facility.   

Those companies will have guys drive a mountain in Nepal with three wheels and no brakes to haul that crap to an "industrial" site.


In fact, one of the positives Jorden reports on is the fact the site is located next to the dump.  Hmmm....

The report starts on page 93 at this link:  ttp://melancthontownship.ca/11council/agenda.nov3.pdf

If you rezone it, they will come.  Just ask Southgate.

If they want to get it approved in accordance with the Provincial Policy Statement, locate it near a settlement area - you know Corbetton, Hornings Mills, adjacent to Dundalk or close to Shelburne...just a thought.