Nobleton property owners upset at lack of communication about new bylaw

YorkRegion.com
April 11, 2017
Simon Martin

Updating the town’s zoning bylaw is usually a pretty drab affair. But King council chambers got a little heated on April 3 when the township held a public meeting regarding the zoning bylaws for King City, Nobleton and Schomberg.

While most people in the packed chambers didn’t get wound up, there were a few business owners from Nobleton who were none too pleased.

“Most of our members were in the dark about (this meeting),” Nobleton business operator Ted Rosenberg said. “We the people want better notification.”

He wasn’t the only Nobleton property owner rattling council’s cage. Former Ward 2 councillor Peter Grandilli was also not impressed.

“Most of the property owners don’t know what is going on. I don’t know what is going on,” he said.

The township had sent notification out about the meeting the same way it usually does. The King City and Schomberg zoning bylaw review represents the second phase of the township’s comprehensive zoning bylaw review. The first phase, focused on Nobleton, and was completed last year.

The Nobleton portion of the zoning bylaw has been appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board but the township’s director of planning Stephen Kitchen told council they were expecting a settlement on the matter shortly.

Mayor Steve Pellegrini took umbrage at the inferences made from Nobleton property owners that they were not informed about what was going on.

“I take great offence to people saying that we have slipped something under your nose,” he said.

When the township was working on the Nobleton bylaw last year, Pellegrini said it held a series of public consultations, including one at the property of one of the dissenters.

According to MMM Group, which is working with the township to update the bylaws, the problem with the current zoning is it doesn’t comply with the community plans.

Last year, work started on the review by way of open houses and mature neighbourhoods design workshops in King City and Schomberg.  Public open houses in King City and Schomberg were held on November 23 and November 29. Council is expected to vote on the zoning bylaw in May.

For more information or to read the zoning bylaw visit king.ca