Council endorsed a recommendation from staff at the Dec. 6 monthly meeting to refuse the application. Councillors were made aware at the Jan. 3 meeting that the proponents are appealing the decision.
Owners Donovan and Juanita Methot, Mike and Lori Stoddart, Jeff and Wendy Carty and Rick and Heather Rood filed notice of the appeal with the UARB on Dec. 20.
The situation involves four recreational vehicles being parked on a lot with a cottage at 103 O3 Road, Lake George. The subject property is zoned Seasonal Residential. The proposed development agreement would have legalized the use, which currently isn’t permitted by municipal regulations.
Coun. Jim Winsor made the Dec. 6 motion to refuse the application. Deputy Mayor Emily Lutz seconded it.
“The implication of this is that enforcement action cannot happen until the UARB rules on the matter and presuming the ruling would be favourable,” Winsor said in a Jan. 4 email. “I encourage residents of Lake George particularly and lake residents generally to be patient with the process.”
Last year, council voted in favour of a motion from former area councillor Dale Lloyd that deferred the matter until the municipality could engage all residents in the Seasonal Residential and Future Shoreland zones with respect to RV’s. The other option available to council on Dec. 6 was to direct the chief administrative officer to continue moving forward with the public consultation process.
Council heard from planning manager Laura Mosher last May that staff determined there is no enabling policy within the Municipal Planning Strategy (MPS) to facilitate drafting the proposed development agreement, as council had previously directed staff to do.
About the public hearing
- A UARB hearing on the appeal is scheduled for April 19 at 9:30 a.m. in the Orchards Room of the Kings municipal complex in Kentville. If necessary, an evening session will be held at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is entitled to attend the hearing.
- Anyone wishing to speak at an evening session must notify the board in writing no later than Feb. 14. If no one requests to speak, there will be no evening session.
- Anyone wishing to participate as an intervenor by presenting evidence or cross-examining witnesses must set out the reason for the request in a letter filed with the board no later than Jan. 30.
- If anyone objects, the board will hear the request Feb. 9. If the request is granted, any evidence and expert reports must be filed by the intervenor with the board by March 6.
- Anyone wishing to make written comments may forward a letter to the board no later than March 6. Written submissions can be mailed to Box 1692, Unit “M”, Halifax, NS, B3J 3S3; emailed to [email protected] or faxed to 902-424-3919.
- A copy of the appeal may be viewed at the board’s offices at Suite 300, 1601 Lower Water St., Halifax, or on the board’s website, www.nsuarb.novascotia.ca. Click on “Matters and Evidence” and under “Go Directly to Matter”, enter Matter I.D. number M07800 in the search field and click “Search”.