A proposed gravel pit expansion near Hillsburgh could result in a future conservation area for the community if Mayor Lou Maieron’s idea catches on.
Muin Husain of Cole Engineering Group was before Erin council recently presenting a Hillsburgh pit expansion application for licence and plans for the rehabilitation of its existing pit.
Husain explained the plan was to update council on the current pit status and to introduce the concept of pairing the pit expansion with community and conservation efforts.
The process includes an opportunity to update the original site’s rehabilitation plan to restore the site for recreational use.
Originally, the Strada pit’s Hillsburgh site extraction had wrapped up in 2008 following a site plan amendment in 2006 which had permitted excavation below the water table to access an extensive stone aggregate deposit.
He noted there were issues with the Ministry of Natural Resources regarding thermal impact (warming of) on groundwater from the pond.
He said with the new application, plans include addressing that impact on site.
Proponents hoped to expand the site for further extraction, about 30 acres, currently owned by Strada, along with the recently acquired adjacent 10-acre property.
Environmental investigations are ongoing on the recently acquired property.
The plan presented to council included taking fill material from the pit expansion to be used as fill material for the pond to mitigate previous thermal impact objections.
Following rehabilitation, portions of the property could be considered as a potential donation to Credit Valley Conservation or to the Town of Erin for conservation/community use.
“This idea was proposed by the mayor. He thought it was great in terms of community as well as for environmental impact.”
Husain stated relinquishing a portion of the property would provide value to the community by promoting conservation and educational opportunities through the potential storm water management feature of constructed wetlands.
He said this would also provide a positive example of an aggregate resource site transformation.
One of the key points is that Strada was seeking to create four lots in an area away from the trail or natural linkages.
He considered the proposal as environmentally friendly since it was taking fill materials from one portion of the property to another plus attempting to address the thermal impacts of the pond now on the property.
Maieron said this approach stemmed from previous meetings where numerous concerns were raised regarding the property such as trespassing and people having campfires by the pond.
Maieron said Strada’s idea was to fill in the whole pond.
“Just as they were about to leave, I put my CVC hat on for a second.”
Maieron currently is Credit Valley Conservation’s board of directors vice-chair.
He said just south of this property is the second oldest hatchery in Ontario.
“I know the conservation areas with ponds are generally the most successful ones because of the recreational opportunities. So I pitched an idea.”
Maieron asked “if you were to get four lots (severed), the town or conservation authority could provide a tax reciept for the remainder of the property – would you be interested in donating the land because it is located in a prime recharge area of the Credit River.”
Maieron went to the CVC to determine an interest.
“I thought a conservation area with a pond would attract economic development and it would preserve the site for recreation.”
Maieron was very pleased to see Husain’s presentation that night.
Maieron said the part he liked the most was the cost to the taxpayers – “about $2.”
For that, the town would get a 150-acre property, less the four severed lots.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity.”
He pointed to a nice plateau area which could be used for a ball diamond or soccer field.
“It is a proposal with merit.”
He stated it would take a considerable amount of material to fill the 10 to 12 acre pond.
“The pond could be used for a lot of recreation facilities.”
Planner Sally Stull suggested that it is still premature to discuss final uses for the site, given that the use of the property is aggregate extraction which is regulated by the Ministry of Natural Resources.
She said “ownership after the fact comes with a lot of potential issues which would have to be dealt with.”
She explained the MNR has very specific rules in these matters.
Stull noted the Payette 10-acre property, where Strada intends to expand, is neither zoned nor designated for aggregate extraction.
Councillor John Brennan said he understood the water heating in the pond is what is affecting the groundwater.
That is something which needs to be mitigated before any expansion could move forward.
Husain said data indicated the issue would be mitigated by filling in certain sections of the pond to reduce the surface area.
When Brennan spoke of the four residential lots, Husain said that was still a concept.
Brennan then asked how the rehabilitation of the land would differ from the rehabilitation plan already set by the MNR.
That is one of the areas which needs to be addressed because the current plan did not do enough to address the thermal impacts.
The biggest change would be ownership of the land if it was donated to either the town or the conservation authority.
Maieron said it was a conceptual plan.
Originally the intent was to move the property back to agriculture.
But Maieron said “preserving the land for conservation and improving the water quality I thought it was a good idea to put forward.”
He added, “Having something good at the end of the process, might help ease concerns of truck traffic in the area for the next several years.”
