Hidden quarry will be focus of special council meeting

A special council meeting has been called for Aug. 12 at the Rockmosa Community Centre to hear the preliminary findings of the township’s planner on the hidden quarry zoning application.

The controversial quarry is being proposed by James Dick Construction, which is seeking an aggregate licence from the Ministry of Natural Resources and a zoning amendment from Guelph-Eramosa council that will allow it to proceed with the pit expected to produce about 700,000 tonnes annually of sand, gravel and dolostone.

The planned quarry would cover about 25 hectares (61 acres) of the 39 hectare (100 acre) property at the northeast corner of the 6th Line and Highway 7.

The Concerned Residents Coalition (CRC), made up of residents living near the site, opposes the quarry and has hired a number of outside experts to challenge the findings of engineering firms hired by the construction company and working for the ministry.

The CRC is concerned about potential water quality and water monitoring on and around the site, the type of bedrock formation that makes up the quarry, the impact from blasting, economic impact to the township and a drop in property values.

It also prompted council to switch its consulting firm in April. Council replaced Cuesta Planning Consultants with  Macaulay Shiomi Howson Ltd. because township officials said reports about the quarry were not being delivered back to council in a “timely” manner.

Council is considering information for and against the development. The preliminary planning report will be released by the township’s current planner at the Aug. 12 special meeting.

Mayor Chris White said the meeting will allow people to ask questions about the findings in the preliminary report, which is expected to be posted on the township website (www.get.on.ca/hiddenquarry)on Aug. 8.

“We may be reaching the point we will be able to make a decision sooner,” White said, depending on the preliminary report findings and questions raised from it.

The mayor believes most of the concerns have already be raised with council. White said the township has kept the process open to allow council to make an informed decision.

“People just want to express an opinion,” White said, adding he expects to keep the special meeting and questions raised on track.

“I’m going to try to manage it so it doesn’t go in circles,” he said of the possibility of the same question being repeatedly raised at the meeting.

CRC member Linda Sword said her group is looking forward to seeing the preliminary report when it is posted on Aug. 8 and will base its questions at the Aug. 12 meeting on those findings.

She said CRC members appreciate council allowing them to raise issues at several council meetings and to consider all the issues surrounding the pit.

“It’s a very interesting moment because it’s a preliminary report and we appreciate that,” she told the Advertiser.

Sword said the CRC still intends to raise issues at council that have not been dealt with, including a traffic study.

The special meeting will start at 7pm on Aug. 12.

There is no requirement to register with the clerk prior to the meeting.

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