Ontario Construction News staff writer
Guelph’s request for a boundary adjustment to include the Dolime Quarry lands in the municipal boundary and a Minister’s Zoning Order to allow future residential development on the property have been approved by the province.
The annexation and MZO will come into effect on January 1, 2022.
“Every step we’ve made toward protecting our community’s drinking water has felt like progress, but this one is the big one,” says Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie. “I want to thank Minister Steve Clark for upholding our community-supported solution to a complex problem. The approval of our requests makes the province’s commitment to drinking water protection loud and clear.”
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark granted Guelph’s request for an MZO, which enables homes to be built faster on the site of the Dolime Quarry lands in the Township of Guelph/Eramosa.
“Young families, seniors and all hardworking Ontarians are desperate for housing that meets their needs and budget. As Ontario enters a period of economic recovery, we are working hard to protect our progress and increase the supply of housing our province needs,” Clark said.
“I’m proud to grant the City of Guelph’s request for a Minister’s Zoning Order to help build more homes faster, all while protecting the drinking water for the people of Guelph and Eramosa.”
He went on to say the decision balances responsible growth with protecting the environment for future generations and will protect sensitive groundwater – the city’s drinking water source – beneath the Dolime Quarry lands.
The Minister has also approved the City of Guelph and Township of Guelph/Eramosa’s proposal for annexation of the Dolime lands as part of a quarry rehabilitation initiative to protect drinking water, following several years of public consultation by the municipalities.
“Every step we’ve made toward protecting our community’s drinking water has felt like progress, but this one is the big one,” said Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie. “The approval of our requests makes the province’s commitment to addressing drinking water protection loud and clear, and also, over the longer term, supports the need to address the housing crisis our province faces.”
Planning will now include environmental impact and other required studies and define development limits, road networks, parkland allocations, natural heritage buffers, and servicing needs for water, wastewater and stormwater management. The planning process will include opportunities for the community to help shape the new residential development through formal engagement. The agreement also assures that these planning requirements would apply to future property owners if the land is sold.
Land use studies and planning for the residential development are expected to begin next year.
Meanwhile, the Southwest Guelph Water Supply Class Environmental Assessment currently underway includes a testing program to monitor water quality and quantity at the Dolime Quarry and throughout Guelph’s southwest.
In 2019, the city launched Our Community, Our Water with an extensive public engagement program around a proposal to close the quarry and revitalize the site into a new residential neighbourhood. More than 230 residents from the city and Township participated in online and in-person opportunities to learn more about how the proposal would protect the long-term quality and quantity of Guelph’s drinking water.
Under the council-approved solution, the Dolime Quarry will close early and the quarry site will be revitalized into a new mixed-use residential neighbourhood. Most importantly, the city will take control of the quarry’s water supply.