Crystal North's proposed water bottling plant for the vacant Eglise de la Toussant church in Minnow Lake got the green light at the planning committee of city council Tuesday night.
The vote was three-to-two in favour of allowing the rezoning of the old catholic church from R1 single residential to M1 mixed light industrial/service commercial.
“It has been a long, tiring process. We put our points across and were able to make city councillors aware of the type of business we are. We will not be creating a high impact on the community,” said excited owner Gerry Desjardins, a retired Falconbridge electrician.
Members of the planning committee: councillors Frances Caldarelli, Ward 10, Andre Rivest, Ward 6, and Evelyn Dutrisac, Ward 4 voted for the the rezoning application. Councillors Joe Cimino, Ward 1, and Claude Berthiaume, Ward 3, voted against it.
Ward 11 councillor Janet Gasparini, whose ward takes in the Minnow Lake area, made a presentation to the committee in favour of the rezoning.
“I have received phone calls three-to-one in favour of the rezoning from people in the immediate area to the proposed plant. I took their addresses,” said Gasparini.
“People said there was already many small businesses in the neighbourhood, a pizza joint, an auto body shop, a drugstore, a hotel, and a Legion. Better this type of operation than something else. The owners also impressed people when they said they would not alter the church building's outside.” she said.
Many people in the audience disagreed.
John Lindsay, chair of the Minnow Lake Community Action Network, vigorously protested the application and lectured councillor Rivest heatedly about why councillors are allowing “spot zoning” allowing projects out of sync with the city's official plan to go ahead, and, in this case against the advice of professional city staff.
Opponents of the vote do have further recourse. They can appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board, said chair Caldarelli.
