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Serving the Mapleton Community
Community News Volume 46 Issue 05
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 2.10% 3 Year GIC - 2.25% 5 Year GIC - 2.65% Daily Interest 2.00%
Friday, February 1, 2013
Township moves to end MDS exemption
Opening soon - Drayton Entertainment is putting its administration, set and costume design departments under one roof in the newly built, 500-seat Dunfield Theatre on Grand Avenue in Cambridge. Workers are putting in the finishing touches in preparation for the theatre’s inaugural performance: Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins, set to open March 6. photo by Kris Svela
Drayton Entertainment prepares to open new theatre/headquarters in Cambridge by Kris Svela CAMBRIDGE - Drayton Entertainment is about to expand its repertoire with the opening of its newest theatre here. The company is incorporating its administrative offices and set and costume design into the soon-to-be-completed, 60,000-square-foot, 500-seat Dunfield Theatre complex on Grand Avenue in Cambridge. “We’re trying to consolidate,� said Alex Mustakas, who has served as artistic director and CEO of Drayton
Entertainment for more than 20 years. “Wardrobe is very happy they have natural lighting instead of working in a basement. This is our hub.� The glass and stone interior and exterior echoes some of the historic elements of Cambridge, which is known for its limestone architecture and wood fabricating plants that once dotted the shores of the Grand River. The theatre foyer and reception area is glassed in. The Dunfield Theatre joins the stable of theatres operated by Drayton Entertainment, includ-
ing the original Festival Theatre in Drayton, Huron Country Playhouse and Playhouse II in Grand Bend, the King’s Wharf Theatre in Penetanguishene and the Schoolhouse Theatre and Country Playhouse in St. Jacobs. About 40 full-time staff members now work for Drayton Entertainment at the Cambridge location, with about 300 full- and part-time workers hired when the season is in full gear at all the company’s theatre venues. Continued on page 3
by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON – Council here is making plans to remove a controversial exemption to Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) 1 requirements on small vacant lots in the township. At the Jan. 22 meeting, council agreed to proceed with providing notice of a public meeting on a proposed zoning bylaw amendment to make the change. Mapleton’s current comprehensive zoning bylaw waives MDS 1 requirements for existing lots (as of the passage of the bylaw) that are less than 9.9 acres. The bylaw was originally passed in 2010, and came into effect in June of 2012. Concerns have been raised about the change, which council members have stated they were not aware was being implemented, from owners of a farm property near several vacant lots which became eligible for development with the passage of the bylaw. Wellington County planner Mark Van Patter presented council with two options for an amendment dealing with the removal of the exemption. The first option would involve simply deleting the last line of the bylaw’s Section 6.17.1, which states that MDS 1 does not apply to any lot that existed, as of Oct. 12, 2010. “This would result in MDS 1 having to be calculated for all vacant lots seeking a building permit. In some cases, lots that earlier complied with the MDS, may not comply today. These lots would be required to get zoning relief (i.e. minor variance or rezoning),� stated Van Patter in a written report to
council. The county estimates there were 80 vacant, rural lots in Mapleton, as of July 2011. “We do not know how many vacant lots could require zoning relief for a MDS 1 deficiency,� commented Van Patter, who suggested this option “could create a backlash from vacant lot owners, and has the potential of legal proceedings against the township.� Van Patter recommended, a second option, reverting to the wording of the previous comprehensive zoning bylaw passed in 2000. “Then, only lots created prior to 1970 would be required to meet MDS 1. This would save on staff time as well as time for the Committee of Adjustment,� he explained, adding, “In my opinion it is also the fairer approach.� “What’s the best option to protect farmland here? Because that’s our goal,� asked councillor Neil Driscoll. Van Patter said that Option 1 would be the best option for that purpose. “Also that’s the one which OMAFRA encourages municipalities to do,� he added. Councillor Mike Downey suggested council proceed with Option 1, but remove a sentence which indicates zoning relief in the form of a minor variance or zoning bylaw amendment, which may or may not be approved, would be required before a building permit would be granted. “That’s [true] with all of our bylaws,� he pointed out. Councillor Andy Knetsch said, “I’ve made some efforts to put myself in the position of being the owner of a vacant lot
and having someone say I can’t build on it and I don’t know if that’s fair.� He suggested council should go with the second option. Van Patter noted there is no way to please everyone on the issue. “You have to pick a side, one way or the other. It’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t thing - that’s the nature of it. It’s really an ugly scenario,� he pointed out. Driscoll said, “I agree that people have a right to build a home, but farmers have a right to make a living. Yes, a lot might cost $80,000, but some of these farms are worth millions. We live out here and we farm here and by putting a house in front of us, it restricts what we can do to make a living.� Mayor Bruce Whale wondered if council should look into how many lots would be potentially affected by the change and suggested getting a legal opinion before proceeding. Downey said he felt a legal opinion was unnecessary, as council would be simply giving notice of a public meeting on the proposed zoning amendment. Council passed a resolution directing staff to proceed with the notice of public meeting to amend Section 6.17.1 of the township’s comprehensive zoning bylaw, utilizing Option 1 of Van Patter’s report, but removing reference to options for obtaining zoning relief. Councillors Driscoll, Downey and Jim Curry voted in favor, with only Knetsch opposed.
Council declares parks and sports fields ‘smoke free’ throughout Mapleton by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON – The township is planning to declare parks and sports fields here smoke free. But for now, the municipality will rely primarily on the honour system to make the prohibition work. Last April the local Parks, Culture and Recreation Committee recommended that council make all municipal properties, “smoke and tobacco free.� After researching the issue, CAO
Patty Sinnamon provided council with a follow-up report at the Jan. 18 council meeting. She recommended that “smoke free park� signs be placed in all township parks, sports fields and outdoor recreation areas. However, she stopped short of recommending council actually ban smoking, noting that enforcement would be the responsibility of the municipality. “Township staff certainly recognize that second-hand smoke is a health issue and several larger munici-
palities have enacted bylaws to restrict or ban smoking in parks or sports fields. However, enforcement of such a bylaw in Mapleton is a concern to staff in that we do not have staffing resources available to enforce the bylaw,� Sinnamon observed in her report. “Use of the parks and sports fields is generally during the evening hours and weekends when staff is not available. If such a bylaw were to be passed and an individual had a complaint about smoking in these areas, an
enforcement officer would need to be called out to investigate and proceed with a fine, if warranted. In all likelihood, the smoker will have probably left the area by the time an enforcement officer arrives.� “Who’s going to enforce this?� wondered councillor Mike Downey. “That’s my point. No one,� replied Sinnamon. “Unless we’re going to have the resources to actually enforce a bylaw, there’s no point in having a bylaw,�
she stated. Sinnamon suggested posting of “This is a smoke free park,� signs might be enough to deter smoking. Council agreed with the recommendation to post the suggested signage. In response to a question from councillor Neil Driscoll, Sinnamon explained the policy does not affect the PMD Community Centre, where smoking is already banned within a minimum distance of the building.
Tennis court/ice rink facility proposed for park in Glen Allan by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON – Council here is supportive of a proposal to build a tennis court/ice surface facility in Glen Allan Park and agreed to consider a request for funding in its 2013 budget deliberations. Council heard a proposal from Carla Schott of the Glen Allan Parks Association at the Jan. 22 meeting. The associa-
tion would like to create a tennis court, which could be converted to an ice rink in the winter months. The group would like the municipality to split the estimated $60,000 cost of the project. The group has raised about $22,500 since first presenting the idea to the Parks, Culture and Recreation Committee (PCRC) in October, “so there’s Main St. W. Palmerston
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definitely interest in the project,� said Schott. “I believe we have commitment for the $30,000 - half the cost of the project,� stated Schott. “We are asking council for financial support to match the $30,000 that the group has raised. We would work with the director of public works to have this work completed this spring.�
The association proposes to look after the tennis court, using money raised through fundraisers. The association will look after making ice in the winter and the interior maintenance of the tennis court. The group suggests building the 110’ x 60’ facility close to the playground so adult tennis players can keep an eye on their children while using the
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court. Public works director Larry Lynch said the local parks and recreation committee is very impressed with the Glen Allan group’s efforts. “We basically said show us the money. To raise $23,000 in a couple of months is just unbelievable,� said Lynch, adding he is prepared to work with the group on getting any neces-
sary approvals from the Grand River Conservation Authority. Lynch also said Mapleton staff are behind the project. “We run the park anyway. From a staff perspective, we’ll be very supportive,� he stated. “It’s good to see the community support you’ve put together. Now it becomes a budgeting issue,� said Mayor Continued on page 3
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