by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative
Council hears, approves two separate
requests for second driveways
Gary McLean requested permission to keep access to a second driveway at his home.
He said he moved into a home on Talbot Street, which had rear access onto Irwin Avenue. Last year, they put up a new garage and got permits to do so. Around six-months later, he was told he would lose that access, which he said was disappointing.
Director of Infrastructure, Kevin Girard, explained the key take away includes that in the Town’s Development Standards Manual, only one driveway per lot is permitted. When the manual was created, the rationale was that there is additional cost to the municipality for infrastructure replacement and road work, potential conflict with road and pedestrian traffic, and green spaces on public and private property are removed.
In addition, those that are gravel contribute to sediment accumulation within the stormwater system.
If Council wanted to allow the second driveway, the regular permitting process could be utilized and ensure the driveway is installed to the standard of the day.
Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley believes if the driveway is closed, their vehicles will just be parked on the main street. He would not be opposed to allowing the second driveway, so long as it does not cost the Town anything in terms of the road works to be done on Irwin associated with this driveway.
Mayor Sherry Bondy also believed a second driveway should be cost recovery and that taxpayers should not have to pay for the cost of two driveways on one lot.
Councillor Joe Garon would lean towards allowing a second driveway for one car.
Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais moved that a hard surface, one car driveway be permitted off of Irwin Avenue. Council passed this.
The driveway placement may depend on drainage that needs to go in as part of the Irwin Avenue road works, Girard noted.
Terry Pillon, on behalf of her mother, Geraldine Bergeron, also requested to keep a second driveway on Maidstone Avenue East.
Pillon explained construction on the Maidstone, Gosfield, Arthur intersection was already underway when Town staff informed her they wanted to speak to her regarding the driveway situation.
Through the planning process, they were never informed the looped driveway on the corner property was an issue. In April, she was asked by Town staff which access they preferred. She was later told that the front access would be closed, due to the left turn lane and the location of the garage facing Gosfield, unless Council approved an exemption.
In terms of safety, they want to keep the loop, due to traffic.
Councillor Kim Verbeek moved that the second driveway be allowed. Council passed that.
Site-Specific Zoning By-Law Amendment
to create STRU at Chester Road dwelling denied
Essex Council denied the Site-Specific Zoning By-Law Amendment to create a Short-Term Rental Unit (STRU) at a dwelling on Chester Road in Colchester.
At the April 15 Special Council meeting, Council heard the merits of a Site-Specific Zoning By-Law Amendment for a residence on Chester Road in Colchester.
The owners wanted to utilize this single-detached dwelling as a STRU, and needed a Site-Specific Zoning By-Law Amendment to do so.
In May of 2022, the previous Term of Council adopted By-Laws to regulate and license STRUs in the Town of Essex, in part, permitting them in a Residential Zoning District, only if it has been established and in operation in an existing dwelling on or before the adoption of the By-Law on May 9 of that year. After that point, an STRU was not permitted in a Residential Zoning District, except by approval of a site-specific rezoning request through Council.
The owners noted they were looking to rent to families and wedding parties. Residents in the area expressed a list of concerns and asked Council to deny the request.
Council was told with consideration of public comments received, comments and questions from Council, and policies found in the Provincial Policy Statement, the County of Essex and Town of Essex Official Plans, Town Administration recommended the request be denied.
If the door is to be opened to new STRUs in Ward 3, it has to be after time has been given to the ones that are now operating legitimately, Councillor Kim Verbeek said.
Recently, Council learned, so far, 83 STRU licenses have been issued since introduction of this STRU program, of which 80 STRs are currently active.
The majority – 74 – are located in a residential area, with three in an Agricultural District and three in a Commercial District. There are no such units in a Green District.
In addition, 74 of the STRUs are located in Ward 3, with two in Essex Centre, one in McGregor, and three in Harrow.
This home is within 100-meters of one other STRU, and within 1km of ten.
CAO, Mayor, Deputy Mayor tour Hydro One
With a goal to receive a high-level tour of the facility, on April 19, Essex CAO Doug Sweet, Mayor Sherry Bondy, and Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley met with Hydro One staff at its Essex Centre location.
It was also an opportunity for the Essex reps to hear Hydro One staff members review their operations and how they address storms and other major incidents within the municipality.
The Town of Essex has two electricity providers, Hydro One in the rural areas, and E.L.K. Energy Inc. – which the Town of Essex owns – in the urban centres of Essex Centre and Harrow.
Sweet said he learned the Hydro One facility on Irwin Avenue is the main storage yard and command centre for all of Hydro One service areas within Essex County.
During the tour, Hydro One explained how line and forestry staff are utilized for regular maintenance, such as tree trimming and pole replacement. They also explained timelines for when power goes out and factors that can affect the restoration time, such as transformer replacement or the simple fix of resetting a connector.
Hydro One staff also went over how they addressed the ice storm last February.
A key part of the tour was learning how its call centre works, Sweet said. It is staffed 24/7. Hydro One stresses, he added, that the more individuals who contact Hydro One regarding a power outage, staff members are better able to narrow down where and why an outage is occurring. That helps them fix the problem more quickly.
The Essex reps also learned the process Hydro One uses to request other electrical staff be deployed into the area to assist in emergencies.
Outages, Bondy added, are triaged on the number of customers that are out of power. She added Hydro One indicated it sees no concerns with capacity in terms of growth in the area.
Bondy said they also asked about power-flickers, and were told they are signs the system is working well, because the system does not know if it is a human hand that touched the line or a squirrel.
“We are building a really good relationship with Hydro One and it was really cool to see the innerworkings,” Bondy said, adding it is hoped to have its reps back in front of Council in the fall for another public meeting, so Council can ask further questions on asset management.
Progress on Council Strategic Plan outlined
In March of 2023, the Town of Essex retained Linton Consulting to put together its Strategic Master Plan, a document that establishes overall direction and priorities, aligns organizational efforts, and supports future decision-making.
The document looks ahead over the four-year Term of Council.
“Through consultation with Council, Administration, and the public, a plan was developed that identified four strategic priorities that provide direction and goals…used as guiding principles on priorities when establishing budgets or capital projects,” CAO Doug Sweet explained.
One of the questions on the survey issued to gather public feedback when the consultant was developing the document was “what was important to residents.” Out of nearly 500 participants, the top three answers wanted safe and well-maintained roads; parks, trails, playgrounds, and open spaces; priorities and desired timely communication from the municipality.
With that feedback in mind, the four strategic priorities were established: safe and reliable infrastructure, jobs and economic opportunities, a welcoming and caring community, and a responsible and people-focused government.
Each of the four priorities were broken into action items, Sweet explained. The document listed a total of 47 action items, each assigned with a department lead and estimated timeline to complete that action.
After the first year has been completed, 74 percent of the action items have been started, Sweet said.
“This demonstrates the Town’s commitment and accountability to this plan,” he said.
Councillor Kim Verbeek said she loved the news.
Council received the Report for information.
Essex Council Notes for Monday, May 6 will be continued in the May 16 edition of the Essex Free Press.