Around the Township

Decision on Grainboys delayed

by Roger Varley

“This can’t just be a popularity contest. We have to look at the legalities.”

With that statement, Mayor Dave Barton kicked off Monday’s council discussion of responses to an application by Grainboys Inc. for a zoning bylaw amendment to allow them to build a large grain-cleaning facility close to Goodwood.

Noting there were 33 letters from residents on the agenda – 31 against the proposal and two in favour – Chief Administrative Officer Ingrid Svelnis said council has to focus on the zoning.

“We have to focus on whether a grain mill is appropriate for that property,” she said.

She said that questions asked in the letters received would be posted on the township’s website, as well as be forwarded to Grainboys for answers. She noted there were not a lot of questions in the letters and “Grainboys doesn’t have to respond to statements.”

Since next Monday’s council meeting has been cancelled, council agreed that the Feb. 4 meeting would be held at night so that the public could attend, However, in a lengthy discussion on the timing of handling the issue, it was noted that a report from township planning consultant Elizabeth Howson is not expected until the end of this month. Given that planning committee chair Gord Highet had promised the public would have ample time to study that report, council agreed to come to a final decision on the Grainboys application at a night meeting on Feb. 25.

The letters council received resulted from a meeting held at the Goodwood community hall a week ago, which was attended by over 80 people, most of whom were strongly against the proposal.

Conrad Richter, whose business, Richter’s Herbs is adjacent to the proposed Grainboys site, encouraged everyone present to write to council, noting they had only 17 hours to do so. He suggested some of the concerns they might want to take issue with were noise, dust, pesticide use and air pollution. To that end, former councillor Bev Northeast had a number of pre-written letters for people to sign.

During the evening, one man wondered why the Grainboys operation couldn’t be situated in a worked-out gravel pit. Another, a former planning chair in York Region, said arguing against increased truck traffic was “barking up the wrong tree.” He said more would be accomplished by concentrating on the operation’s visual impact. The proposed mill would have 18 silos, each 60 feet tall.

Yet a third argued that, if council approved the application, residents should start a class action suit.

“That will stall it about eight years and they’ll lose interest,” he said.

Resident June Davies suggested that Goodwood residents take their children with them when council revisits the proposal.

“It’s their future that will be affected,” she said.