After 25 years, the Wilson quarry received interim approval for below-the-water-table extraction in Monck.
The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) issued its decision on Sept. 26 after a hearing in Kenilworth on Sept. 8.
Alfred Wilson first applied for the development in a dolostone quarry on the 150-acre parcel in February 1991.
The Wilson quarry lands are located southeast of Monck on Concession 10 and Wellington Road 15. The quarry is situated just south of a wetland band stemming from Luther Marsh.
Due to the township’s amalgamation and development of the Wellington County Official Plan in 1999, the project was delayed.
In 2007, Wilson appealed the township’s and county’s failure to make a decision to the OMB.
The OMB hearing was then delayed due to litigation over a municipal drain. In July 2015, the township signed a minutes of settlement, allowing the matter to be returned to the OMB.
At the Sept. 8 hearing, the OMB heard evidence on land use planning from Donald Scott, evidence on liability insurance from Kathryn Giffen and from two opponents to the quarry.
One of the opponents is Gordon Trask, an abutting neighbour, who expressed his concern over property values, dust, noise, wells, blasting, vibration, air quality and radon gas.
Another neighbour Roger Villeneuve said he was unaware of the quarry proposal when he purchased his property in 2002.
Giffen, on behalf of Stop the Quarry – Save Luther Marsh, said the group did not object to the Minutes of Settlement but did not sign the document because conditions did not include mandatory annual filing of proof of liability insurance.
The decision noted an updated site plan for the quarry.
“It is a massive, massive site plan. Basically what it details is the rehabilitation plan, which is basically for the quarry to become a lake after it’s utilized. It lays out all the pretesting that must happen before they can start digging,” explained Wellington North CAO Mike Givens.
The OMB approved the quarry proposal “based on the uncontroverted expert evidence and submissions of the parties.”
The OMB gave an interim order requesting the zoning bylaw amendment, the official plan amendment, licence conditions and site plan for the quarry.
Once those documents are received the board will circulate a final order to the parties.
Once the final order has been issued and all required licensing and pretesting completed, the quarry can begin its operations, explained Givens.
