It’ll be a while longer before council decides whether or not to direct staff to work on official plan and zoning amendments involving development around Trout Lake.
The issue is going back to committee.
A consultant previously recommended that based on modelling by an aquatic and environmental services firm 70 new lots could be created around the lake in North Bay.
Peter Bullock, member of the Trout Lake Conservation Association (TLCA), says they’re asking that both North Bay and East Ferris continue to pursue planning objectives that maintain or improve water quality.
“It already is your policy to maintain or improve water quality in Trout Lake,” he says. “The consultant is recommending that you not follow that any longer and that you apply the provincial standard which allows deterioration. We feel that we support maintaining the existing planning regime which is already set up and working.”
Liza Vandermeer, TLCA member, says when the current guidelines for Trout Lake were drawn up there were provincial scientists involved and peer review was built in.
She says this situation is different.
“There’s no process in place where somebody is actually reviewing that work and saying whether or not it’s a valid piece of work, especially in this case where Trout Lake is an exceptional water body,” Vandermeer says. “That’s what we’re here for, we want to ensure it stays exceptional.”
With nominations closing in a week and the municipal election on October 24, the next scheduled meeting of council isn’t until the inaugural meeting in mid-November.
