Jeff Dulmage addresses the committee of the whole on Thursday February 16, 2017. (Photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber / Quinte News)
Prince Edward County could have an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board on its hands following a dispute over re-zoning issues at a Wellington business.
On Thursday, Jeff Dulmage addressed the committee of the whole on behalf of his brother John Dulmage, owner of Wellington Store and Lock, outlining concerns over stalled plans to expand his storage business on Belleville Street in Wellington.
“Wellington is beyond capacity for commercial property,” Jeff Dulmage said to the committee. “It would be great to have building out front that offers services that go with expansion of a residential area like barber shops, small car wash or professional buildings in the front.”
Dulmage’s lot is deemed industrial however, in 2013, council adopted a secondary plan that had other uses planned for certain lots. The long term intent is to change several Wellington lots from industrial to residential.
In November 2016, Jeff Dulmage submitted a site plan to build four buildings on his lot and in December an Interim Control Bylaw enacted by the County in December 2016, freezes development on certain lands for one year. The bylaw allows for a study to be completed to determine any inconsistencies in rezoning.
“A couple of inquires including Mr. Dulmage’s forced the bylaw to come about even faster than planned,” said Commissioner of Engineering, Development and Works Robert McAuley in an interview. “It would have happened in any event for rezonings on these properties that are constantly changing their use. Now that industrial use is in question because the 2013 plan said they will be village residential.”
“I feel that the County is arbitrarily taking these lands and swiping them with one pen and they’re saying everything from here to here is going to be residential and there is no appeal,” said Jeff Dulmage in an interview.
Dulmage said he will speak to his brother about whether he plans to appeal.
As part of the process John Dulmage has until end of day Friday February 18 to submit his appeal to the OMB.
“It’s the 11th hour and the individual now doesn’t have any choice but to file an appeal to the OMB because we can’t have a council meeting where we could do a vote of reconsideration on a motion that we made back in December,” said Mayor Robert Quaiff.
Quaiff said new information was released Thursday on the potential for residential expansion on the property.
“Additional information came out today that I wish I would’ve had prior to making the decision in the first place. Lesson learned and we’ll do that in the future,” Quaiff said.
Our newsroom has reached out to Jeff Dulmage for further comment.
