PUSLINCH – Things took an unexpected turn at a July 23 council meeting about rural employment lands in the township, as council endorsed the recommended area established in the “Puslinch by Design” study — and then added to it.
NPG Planning Solution Inc. was contracted by the township to conduct the study and make recommendations.
At a July 9 meeting, NPG president Mary Lou Tanner had recommended area D – land just south of Highway 401 and east of Concession 7 – as the preferred option, as it is visible from the 401 and had good access to the transportation network.
On that day, Tanner also recommended a future employment land overlay, that would set conditions before land in the overlay areas could be developed.
But on July 23, Tanner said discussion with Wellington County planning staff had ruled out the overlay, and instead recommended strong language in the planning policy that would set a high bar for development of land outside the designated employment land zone.
“The future rural overlay is just a tool that won’t work in this community,” she told council.
“It caused confusion and has been removed. But the county has a strong framework and policy that achieves what we were looking for.”
Justin Wilson, a member of the residents group Help Protect Puslinch, delegated to council and said he and his group were happy to see the overlay removed, and instead to see a strong planning policy that would protect agricultural land and preserve the rural character of the township.
Council also heard a delegation by Mike Pecora, owner of 7335 Wellington Road 34, and Matthew Cory, a planner he hired to help make the case to include his property in the rural employment lands.
His property is in an area north of the 401 identified in the study as option H.
Pecora said there is interest from multinational corporations to set up shop on his land, and he requested that area H be included as rural employment land.
Another landowner in area G, just north of area H, submitted a written delegation making a similar request to add area G as employment land as well.
Emily Elliott, a planner representing the owner of 4631 Sideroad 20 North, which is in area C on the Puslinch by Design map, also delegated to council.
That land is owned by Jim Estill, CEO of Danby Appliances Canada, who purchased the property hoping to establish a new head office there.
Estill had already made a pitch to council in December 2022 to allow his application to go directly to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing through a new process called the Minister’s Zoning Order, which allows the minister to make planning decisions.
Council turned down that request, and Elliott said they have now applied for a zoning change directly through the province.
Designating area C as part of the rural employment lands would streamline their application, she said.
But because the application is going through the provincial planning process, council didn’t want to weigh in.
They were more interested in ensuring the protections the official plan amendment set for area C – no truck traffic or driveway access on Sideroad 20 for example – were in place.
“You already have an application (with the province),” said Mayor James Seeley.
“To me, that locks the application to the provincial rules. So even if council designated it all, we could not force that because the application is in. So, I’m not understanding why you are here.”
Although Wellington County had determined Puslinch needs 30 hectares of rural employment land, and “area D” more than covers that with 86 hectares of developable space, council was swayed by the delegations and decided to designate areas D, G and H as rural employment lands.
“I worry about putting all our eggs in one basket with option D,” said councillor Sara Bailey, who noted the delegations from areas G and H already have employment opportunities knocking at their doors and it’s not known if the landowners in area D are interested in selling to a developer.
Councillor John Sepulis moved a motion to designate areas D, G and H as the rural employment lands and council unanimously voted in favour.
The matter now moves to Wellington County land division committee to approve the official plan amendment.
