ACTUALITÉ / NEWS
Church group pleads for building project exemption
(CDSBEO)untilitcanbuilditsownchurch, but the site it has in mind for the project is designated prime farmland and requires a specialexemptiontoallowanyotherkindof development. “Weareseekinganexemptiononthe2011 zoning bylaw,” said Vedder, “as we began (planning)ingoodfaithbasedontheprevious
zoning bylaw.” The lot on Concession 3 near Russell villagebelongstoAlbertandShirleyVedder and has been the proposed site for a new ReformedPresbyterianchurchbuildingfor the past couple of years. But without an exemptiontoOntario’sfarmlandprotection policythatisnotpossibleandHankVedder
saidthereisnowhereelsethecongregation can go. Any other sites available would exhaust the church building fund save up and delay actual construction for several moreyears. “The provincial policy does allow residential development on prime agricultural land where no reasonable alternativeexists,”hesaid.“Landinsidethe village is too expensive for us.” Council has a 30-page planning department report on thematter to review andconsiderforitsnextregularsession.The reportsummarizesthesituation,including provincial policy objections. Mayor Jean- Paul St. Pierre noted that council has to make a decision on thematter. “This (issue) has been outstanding for some time,” he said. “We should come to a resolution.” Council members wrestled with the matter again during their Jan. 16 regular session. An attempt to come up with an amendmentthatwouldaidthechurchgroup endedupdefeated.Butthemotiontoaccept a resolution for accepting the recommendations of both the township planning department and the advisory planning committee regarding the sitewas alsodefeated. The township will now turn the whole issueovertotheUnitedCountiesofPrescott- Russell council (UCPR) to decide since the UCPRofficialplanhasthefinalwordonland useinPrescott-Russell.
G REGG C HAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
RUSSELL | The provincial policy won’t allow it but members of the Russell ReformedPresbyterianChurcharestill hopingtoconvincethemunicipalityand the counties to let them go ahead with plans for a building project on a small pieceofprimefarmlandnearthevillage. Hank Vedder, spokesman for the 160- member church group, presented the case duringtheJanuary9committeeofthewhole session for Russell Township council. The congregation has been using the Mother Teresa Catholic School for a worship site under an arrangement with the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario Le maire adjoint de Glengarry Nord Chris McDonell a été élu à la tête de la municipalité lundi de la semaine dernière.Iladéfaitparunepetitemajorité le conseiller du secteur d’Alexandria, JamieMacDonald.Lepostedemaireétait vacantdepuisledépartdeGrantCrackà Queen’sParkenoctobredernier. Un successeur pour Grant Crack
photo Gregg Chamberlain Hank Vedder presents council with arguments to support land-use exemption request fromRussell Reformed Presbyterian Church.
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