LOOKING AHEAD 2023: Dispute over alleged 'Illegal' truck yards in Kleinburg likely to continue in new year

Vaughan city council plans to address residents' concerns

Yorkregion.com
Jan. 10, 2023
Brian Capitao

One story to watch out for in the coming year will be the alleged “illegal” truck yards in Kleinburg.

Sites near King Vaughan Rd. and Cold Creek Rd. have left nearby residents perturbed, and at least 11 residents of Ward 1 have already sent written complaints to city council.

Many of the residents have argued that the current aggregate gravel pit business on King Vaughan Rd., is not operating legally. Residents like Alexandra Ney, whose family has lived in Kleinburg for over 100 years, she said.

While the current owner Humphries Planning Group has asked for an amendment during a Committee of the Whole meeting to license the business currently operating there. Amendments to By-law 1-88 and Zoning Bylaw 001-2021 are required to permit the continued use of the existing operation, a point which was included in their development proposal before council.

Earlier this year, I visited George Sant & Son Greenhouses, with various members of the Sant family telling me about their issues with the site on Cold Creek Road. From the sound of air hammers to air horns, to dust pollution, to feeling unsafe riding their bikes or driving their cars. The Sants felt like they hadn’t had a moment’s peace.

They found an ally in nearby neighbour Mark Hopkins, who sought to challenge the City of Vaughan in why they hadn’t dealt with this matter the way the Town of Caledon did.

The Town of Caledon took a trucking company to the Ontario Superior Court after complaints by residents. It resulted in a $30,000 fine for the company.

However, once Hopkins had formally presented the issue at council, council vowed they would do something about it.

Coun. Marilyn Iafrate, who is the councilor for Ward 1, asked that a staff report be done and relayed that she thought that the Ontario Ministry of Environment should also conduct an assessment regarding potential contaminants that were of residents’ concerns.

After publishing the article, I was contacted by John Bartella who lives on the border of King and Vaughan and like Hopkins was affected by the truck and ship container yards.

Bartella has since joined the fight with Hopkins and is one of the 11 names listed to have made formal complaints to the City of Vaughan.

With the problem persisting throughout the region, the question is why the YRP are not conducting enforcement. Residents feel like the owners of the yards are acting with impunity.

Several sites have sprouted up, are then knocked down, then are revived once again.

The residents even created a map of all of the offending container yards, they believe to be operating illegally.

The frustration that the residents feel is palpable. As many of the residents who live in Ward 1 live on farmland, many feel their way of life is being threatened. And with so many residents speaking out, it surely will make a lively debate in the new year.

Hopkins for one, wanted council to commit to more action, such as creating an information package like the one the Town of Caledon did in what is and isn’t permissible for truck and ship container yards.

The starting point being the heft of the trucks should not exceed 5 tonnes per axel on Cold Creek Rd., which is a municipal road, according to both city council and residents.

“Cold Creek Rd. is a municipal road with a hard top black surface, with no cement base and has a restricted use of 5 tonnes per axel. The road was not built to sustain heavy vehicles and these transport trucks are well over the allowed limit,” argues Cold Creek Road resident Giovanna C. Luciani in a written statement.

“Anyone attempting to make a left turn from Nashville Rd. onto Cold Creek Rd. needs to contend with the line-up of trucks going westbound along Nashville Rd.,” she added.

King Vaughan Road looks to be just as dangerous, according to local resident, Mina Zeppieri.

“I have had to deal with problems getting in and out of my drive way and most dangerous driving on the wrong side of the road with oncoming traffic, because there are rows of trucks parked on my street,” said Zeppierri in a written statement.

Humphries Planning Group did not respond to a request for comment.