Sarnia tentatively appealing Point Edward residential rezoning

Plans to build about 156 townhouses in Point Edward, near the Sarnia Harbour’s north slip, could be stalled by an appeal.

“We’re working with planning staff and legal staff to see where we go from here,” said Point Edward chief administrator and clerk Jim Burns.

Village council approved rezoning for part of the 10.5-hectare Point Edward lands in June, to allow the proposed project from a numbered, London-based company.

But the City of Sarnia, which owns the nearby north slip in the village, and borders Point Edward south of Exmouth Street, appealed.

In an email, city spokesperson Steve Henschel said concerns exist about the development next to heavy industrial lands, including grain elevators and the harbour.

“Given the harbour’s importance to the local economy and future economic growth, it is critical this existing land use is protected,” he emailed.

Details about ways dust, industrial traffic and noise could be mitigated for residents there are being sought from the village and the developer, he wrote.

There also are concerns about making sure city services such as water and sewer aren’t used for the development, he wrote, rating capacity is being held in reserve for the city’s own expansion plans.

Year oversized load corridor that leads to and from the harbor along Exmouth Street sometimes necessitates road closures when large vessels are moving through, Henschel said.

If access to the proposed residential development is from Exmouth Street alone, it could create conflict, he said in an email.

“We would like information on how the development plans to protect that existing use and address the routine closures that may impact the only means of access for the proposed residential development.”

Sarnia city council in June endorsed submitted the city’s concerns in writing to the village, before the rezoning decision.

After the rezoning decision was made, Sarnia was notified the city had until Aug. 16 to submit an appeal, and did so on the advice of external legal counsel.

Cost for that counsel, including submitting the appeal, is less than $5,000 so far, according to a city report.

Sept. 11, Sarnia council is being asked if they want to maintain or drop that appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal. It’s council’s first meeting since notice about the window for appeals came to the city, city officials said.

“If council endorses the recommendation, our primary focus will be to work outside the appeal process with our partners in Point Edward to address the concerns we have raised,” Henschel emailed, noting Sarnia remains supportive of residential development and committed to working with neighboring municipal partners.

There have been discussions already about ways to mitigate noise and dust, Burns said, noting the developer raised those issues.

“It’s nothing new,” he said.

The developer, meanwhile, continues working on other steps, like a plan of condominium, before shovels can hit the ground, he said, noting the timeline for construction is “pretty undefined.”

Much of the land in question already was zoned residential, but a section that was considered a flood plain was rezoned to allow the development, Burns said.

The way flood plains are defined has changed, he said.

“So, that area doesn’t need to have that designation on it anymore.”

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