A public meeting last Tuesday to consider a zoning amendment application from Ron Rolston and Sandra Ellis for 1235 Winhara Rd., south of Barnes Road, wound up generating complaints of noise, dumping, pollution and contamination from nearby property owners.

The zoning application sought to change the residential rural zone on the property to rural industrial to recognize Corlyn Contractors Inc. as an existing contractor’s establishment, as well as deficient setbacks for several accessory structures scattered on the property.

Darryl Gosse lives at 1334 Winhara Rd. and said he has been monitoring activity at the Corlyn pit on Winhara Road for 10 or 11 years and alleges the property is “totally contaminated.”

He circulated two sets of photographs to council. One set focused on the subject property at 1235 Winhara Rd. while the other focused on the Corlyn pit property. Gosse said he has involved the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) and Ministry of Natural Resources in examining the site.

Cindy Hobson said she lives next door to the property and has been complaining for a couple of years about the activity she sees and hears going on at all hours of the day and night.

She said she is also concerned about environmental issues that have been brought to her attention as she has a dug well, and besides testing her drinking water for E. coli, is not sure if it is contaminated.

“I’m hoping to sell my house as soon as possible, which is difficult when there’s a huge, heavy equipment business next door,” she said, noting complete opposition to rezoning the property. “People don’t want to live next door to that. I know I don’t want to.”

Winhara Road resident Doris Cooke questioned the definition of a contractor’s establishment and pointed out the extreme reduction in setbacks in some cases for the accessory structures on the property.

“What are the long-range plans for Winhara Road?” asked Cooke. “Is it meant to be another Industrial Drive?”

Cooke said in light of the discussions an ecological analysis is in order.

Councillor Mark Clairmont asked Rolston for any comments on the neighbours’ concerns.

“(The property) doesn’t look like it’s up to our standard,” Clairmont said. “It doesn’t look like it’s up to any acceptable person’s standard.”

Rolston confirmed he has been in business since 1986 and has actively used the Winhara Road property as a contractor’s establishment since 1993.

He said he has a half-dozen trucks and vans used for the business, as well as heavy equipment such as dump trucks, bulldozers and a backhoe.

“All of the buildings are movable and we can move them all tomorrow if they don’t meet the right dimensions or setbacks,” Rolston said. “The MOE has been on my property and there are no problems as far as I’m concerned. I’ve heard stuff from the community that I’ve never heard before.”

Rolston said he would be willing to move some of his heavy machines to help Hobson sell her property.

Council gave a bylaw to rezone the property first reading before councillor Terry Pilger motioned to defer the item based on a recommendation from planning staff.

“I see no reason to defer this, I’ve made up my mind,” said Clairmont. “I’m not sure of the purpose of a deferral. We’ve got a potentially toxic wasteland if it isn’t already. Deferring the matter is only possibly enabling somebody to further pollute the property. I don’t see us being party to that opportunity right now.”

Councillor Bob Colhoun said he would like to walk the entire property.

Council agreed to defer passing the bylaw to receive a report from staff pertaining to the environmental issues on the property and conduct a site visit.