A neighbourhood 24-hour vending machine business in Belleville could be closing soon.
Monday the city’s Planning Advisory Committee supported staff’s recommendation that an application for a rezoning to allow eight outdoor vending machines to continue to operate in the the west end be denied.
The machines, sitting on the driveway of a house at 57 Octavia Street, have been operating for almost four years but have been in contravention of Belleville’s Official Plan and several zoning by-laws.
Staff recommend not allowing a rezoning because the area is not zoned for an outdoor business in the city’s official plan and some on the committee believe allowing the machines to stay will set a dangerous precedent in neighbourhoods throughout the city.
There was no comment from any committee members as they voted to reject the rezoning application.
Most public comments have been in favour of keeping the vending machines, saying they offered 24-hour convenience and hadn’t led to any problems.
Others worried about loitering, lighting and security stressing that convenience stores were just a few minutes walk from the neighbourhood.
City council has the final say on the issue and the machine’s owner has the option of appealing to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.
Closer look at vending machines on driveway. (Photo: Belleville Planning Advisory Committee.)
