The Ontario Land Tribunal has made a decision supporting R.W. Tomlinson, allowing them to set up a permanent asphalt plant in Greater Napanee.
In his ruling on December 22, Dale Chipman said that the town of Greater Napanee must give Tomlinson permission to run an asphalt plant. The asphalt plant would be at the site owned by Tomlinson near an active quarry, located 8205 County Road 2.
The proposed spot for the asphalt plant has been a big issue since Tomlinson first told their neighbours about their plans in April 2021. Residents against this location formed a group called Keep Napanee Great, expressing concerns about air quality, noise, traffic, potential harm to the environment, property value loss, and its closeness to Greater Napanee’s downtown area and the Napanee River.
At a meeting on April 5, 2022, town council unanimously voted against Tomlinson’s zoning application. Tomlinson then decided to appeal the decision in May 2022, leading to the case being taken up by the Ontario Land Tribunal.
The ruling reads that “The Tribunal has determined that the applicable Provincial, County and Town planning policies have demonstrated that the proposed permanent HMA (hot mix asphalt) plant is a compatible land use, and that potential impacts related to dust, odour, noise and traffic can be minimized and mitigated in accordance with provincial and municipal requirements and best management practices.
Therefore, this appeal is allowed, and the ZBA (zoning by-law) approved, subject to the conditions outlined in the draft ZBA and the Site Plan agreement.”
We’ll have more on this story in the coming days.
Written by Emily Chatwood
