Quinte West municipal office (File photo: Nicole Kleinsteuber)
Quinte West council is moving ahead with rezoning an 85 acre parcel of land to industrial, in spite of objection from a handful of residents.
Monday night council voted to rezone the land off 2nd Dug Hill Road as a planning report states it has to be done in order for the city to purchase the land.
“I don’t want to see you putting a stinking smoky factory in Hanna Park,” said Mark Bumstead who has been vocal about council putting more thought into the issue at previous meetings.
Mayor Jim Harrison said less than half, 32 acres, is actually usable as industrial land.
Harrison said if anything of particular use comes up for the land they will have a public meeting adding the City needs to provide jobs.
In other business, Quinte West is going after provincial funding for bike lanes and other cycling infrastructure.
Council approved seeking funding for 8 projects that fall under the City’s Active Transportation Plan that was approved last fall.
The eight projects include: North Murray Street – Ireland Avenue to Hamilton Road; Hamilton Road – Wallbridge-Loyalist Road to RCAF Road; Hamilton Road – RCAF Road to Sidney Street; King Street – Dundas Street West (via Fourth Avenue) to Division Street; Waterfront Trail – Murray Canal to Trent Port Marina; Dixon Drive – Marmora Street to Sidney Street; Trenton-Frankford Road; and Division Street – Dundas Street.
The provincial government is offering a program that will pay up to 80% of the cost of installing bike lanes or other infrastructure that directly aids cycling in communities.
Council also gave the green light to enter into an agreement with Trenton Cold Storage to use its masting/de-masting crane to serve sailboats at the Trenton Port Marina.
Currently, sailors are using other marinas for such purposes.
Councillor David McCue said it is a great idea to service boats so ‘they don’t have to go elsewhere.’
Councillor Allan Dewitt who sits on the Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board agreed the marina should have ‘full service.’
Under the agreement, the city would pay for maintenance, repairs, and insurance.
In return, the city would receive 75% of the revenue the service provides.
