A Ramara resident is concerned the township may pave the way for a quarry to be built in what is essentially his backyard.
Len Shaddock says the quarry will blast rocks 150 metres from the home where his grandson lives and plays.
"He's autistic. He has to wear headphones if noises are too loud," Shaddock said.
Behind his family residence, cattle once grazed and agriculture was the pursuit, which is why his son recently bought the house.
"Now, all of a sudden, there is going to be a quarry," he said. "It kind of boggles my mind that this can happen so quickly."
Shaddock says he believes the quarry could devalue homes in the area by 25 per cent.
"My son has put a lot of money into his property," he said. "To me, it's kind of being pulled out from underneath him."
He says there have been homes in the area with water well problems, which has him concerned about the safety of the drinking water if a quarry is to be built nearby.
He and other residents have sent letters of objection to the Township of Ramara.
"I hope we are heard," he said. "I'm hoping that this isn't just going to get rubber-stamped, they are going to say they've met all the criteria, and away it goes."
He says a quarry would significantly affect families living nearby.
"I want to make sure everybody knows about this," he said. "It seems like the information isn't out there."
In a statement to OrilliaMatters, township planner Jennifer Stong, confirmed the township received applications for Official Plan and zoning bylaw amendments for the properties known as 1506 Hwy. 12, 1646 Hwy. 12, 2530 Concession Rd. 1 and 2440 Concession Rd. 1 in Brechin to enable the establishment of a quarry.
Stong says access to the quarry is planned to be from Concession Road 2, with the proposed entrance about 450 metres west of Highway 12. According to the application, "the proposed licensed area is 151.4 hectares, with 91.5 hectares of that area being used for extraction. The remainder will be used for ecological enhancements, mitigation, and monitoring."
Stong says the applicant will be required to obtain approvals through the Aggregate Resources Act from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. The land-use planning applications involve a public meeting with township council and a subsequent report with recommendation to council for consideration.
"Studies submitted with the application are circulated to the appropriate agencies in accordance with the Planning Act and peer-reviewed by subject matter experts in advance of the public meeting of council and subsequent decision," Stong said.
"These applications include but are not limited to a natural environment report, traffic impact study, noise impact study, blasting impact analysis, archeological report, hydrogeological and hydrological studies, etc."
Timing for land-use planning applications can vary based on scope, Stong says. It is anticipated a public meeting for the application in question will be scheduled for this summer.
"Residents within the prescribed areas, and those that have requested to be notified, will be sent the notice of public meeting a minimum of 20 days before the meeting is held," she said.
The notice of complete application and draft amendments can be found here. Residents with questions are encouraged to contact the planning department at [email protected] or 705-484-5374.
