By Julie Pollock
Last Saturday’s Public Information Session on Arbour Farms, organized by Mulmur Township, brought 60 or so attendees up to date on the progress of its applications since last summer.
Arbour Farms has applied to extract and haul aggregate from an estimated 9 million-tonne deposit on the east side of busy, two-lane Airport Road south of County Road 21.
Attended by all of Mulmur’s Councillors and some staff, the meeting was led by third-party consultants: Don Scott(Cuesta Planning) for Mulmur Township, Brian Zeman (MHBC Planning) for Arbour Farms, and Dan Cherepacha (Read, Voorhees & Associates) for the County.
Arbour Farms has made changes to address concerns about the natural environment, noise and truck traffic. These include environmental setback area and reduced transportation hours (including Friday afternoon and weekend cessation). At the County’s behest, Arbour Farms has vastly improved the proposed truck entrance and access area. Safety lights will alert southbound drivers to loaded trucks leaving the property.
The question period provided a platform for residents to ask about issues such as cost-bearing for by-law enforcement and the effectiveness of site “self-monitoring.” But the main theme was Dufferin County’s Airport Road. No one from the County came to answer questions, so it remained unclear at the meeting who will decide what needs to be done and who will pay for these long-term needs.
Mulmur’s Planning Advisory Committee Chair Keith Lowry asked, “Where the hell is the County?”
Even with plans to build truck climbing and pullover lanes near the site, significant upgrades and maintenance will be required to accommodate up to 20 lumbering gravel trucks per hour along the hilly haul route. According to Cherepacha, a traffic expert, trucks may be expected to slow to about 40 kilometres per hour on some grades.
Mayor Paul Mills suggested that residents approach Dufferin County Council for clarity on the future of Airport Road. Mulmur Council must now decide on Arbour Farms’ municipal applications for rezoning and amendment to the Official Plan to accommodate the operation.