An application has been submitted to the County of Bruce for a major change to a property adjacent to the SouthPort Pentecostal Church and across from SouthPort Golf Club.
The application by Carson’s Supply, if approved, would permit a concrete manufacturing plant, outdoor storage, parking, a stormwater management pond and … a future PVC manufacturing facility.
The agricultural property, if approved, would be re-designated from Agricultural (A) to Agricultural Areas with Exceptions and to re-zone the area from Agricultural (A) to Agricultural Commercial Special with Holding to permit the above usages.
According to the County’s file, ‘… the applications will facilitate a partial relocation and expansion of Carson’s commercial business. currently located in Port Elgin on Goderich Street across from the Family Fun Bowling Centre. The 40-year-old commercial business is a wholesale provider of plumbing, HVAC, waterworks supplies and precast concrete structures and that has a custom PVC injection and extrusion facility at their Port Elgin warehouse.
The Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment would permit the construction of a concrete manufacturing plant, that would produce products such as catch basins, septic holding tanks and electrical utility vaults. It would also provide ample outdoor storage for these large materials. It would further permit a PVC manufacturing facility to be constructed in the future.
According to the County’s documents,
“The proponent has looked extensively for a site in the settlement area, offering to purchase a lot in the Innovation Park which, at the time, was declined. Pre-cast concrete fabrication is considered a “heavy industrial” use and creates dust and noise; and uses process waters to mix the concrete. Currently, there are minimal setbacks between Carson’s Supply and the adjacent residential uses and there have been several complaints against the business from adjacent residential uses in the past.”
“The subject lands are ideally located for a space extensive industrial and commercial use given the rural location outside the periphery of a settlement area and in an area that already is interspersed with commercial, recreational and non-agricultural uses.”
The proposed development will occupy the western portion of the subject lands and will use approximately 13.5 ha of land with an entrance off Bruce County Road 3.
In the Planning Justification Report by Carbide Engineering, it states that,
“The subject lands offer an opportunity for avoidance and mitigation of incompatibilities. Since it is a larger property, more effective buffering can be used including a landscaped berm and physical separation of the use from the sensitive uses such as the residential and church uses that are adjacent. All of the surrounding uses are approximately 230 m from the proposed facility. For comparison, there is a 0 m setback with the current facility and residential uses on three sides.”
In prime agricultural areas, permitted uses and activities are: agricultural uses, agriculture related uses and on-farm diversified uses. Proposed agriculture-related uses and on-farm diversified uses shall be compatible with, and shall not hinder, surrounding agricultural operations. Criteria for these uses may be based on guidelines developed by the Province or municipal approaches, as set out in municipal planning documents, which achieve the same objectives.
The County has sent to the application to the several agencies that would be involved, including the municipality of Saugeen Shores.
Public comments are also invited.
A public meeting will be scheduled at a later date and another notice will be sent out advising of the date of this meeting.
