An application for a truck terminal with associated warehousing has come up against some opposition.
The proposed site at 20 Blessington Road is the southeast corner of Blessington Road and Hwy. 37 and is 10 hectares in size.
The property is currently zoned industrial and environmentally protected in the Official Plan but business owner Chady Oueini is seeking a rezoning to general industrial.
Oueini owns and operates the County Courier and County Transport and after seeking city staff help to attempt to find a city-owned property for his business, he bought private land in hopes of building a facility to suit his company’s needs.
Oueini currently runs most of his operation out of the former Nortel building, near lands slated for future development.
RFA Planning Consultant Spencer Hutchison told the B3ellevlle Planning Advisory Committee Monday night that the property is an ideal location in planning terms for a depot and under the city’s plan for industrial use, the plan falls within the scope of acceptable uses.
There are also plans for an eight-unit storage facility in the future.
He said the proposed driveway for the entrance is much closer to Hwy. 37 and the focus and goal is to make use of the highway as there is no need or desire for any truck to go near the first house on Blessington Road.
Four people spoke during the public meeting noting their opposition for reasons such as: it is not compatible with neighbouring uses, concerns about drinking water, noise pollution and the loss of prime agricultural land.
Hutchison noted Oueini was also aware of concerns and willing and wanting to meet with those in opposition to try and solve differences of
opinion.
Oueini told the committee he is just trying to create more jobs and he purchased the land because there was nothing else suitable.
City staff will come back to the Planning Advisory Committee with a recommendation next month.
