Monday, May 3rd is a Council Public Planning meeting.  One of the applications is for 52 James Stokes Court to create 5 lots, each with a single detached house.   As the report indicates the proposal is generally consistent with Kingview Manors which is on 3 sides of the property to be developed.  To my mind there are two issues which require more consideration as is indiated in the report.  First, two of the lots’ northern boundaries are not respecting our policy requirement for 30 meter buffers for natural heritage features.  Secondly it is proposed that  lot 1 should incorporate the natural buffer for the northern boundary of all 5 lots.  The latter is must unusual and is in contravention of the normal practise of buffers being transferred to either the Township or to the Conservation Authority i.e. TRCA.  (The motivation for this practice is to ensure perpetual protection as private ownership might enable abuse and/or fragmentation.)  As the meeting is being held virtually it is necessary to register by noon on May 3 with clerks@king.ca to make a virtual deputation.  On same timing email comments can be sent to clerks@king.ca so that they are forwarded to Council before the meeting. To access report and all appendices see the agenda and scroll down.

There is an interesting angle to this application which is not relevant to the decision about this application.  The property included in this application and the Kingview Manors subdivision are lands which were part of the James Burns Farm.   James Burns figures prominently in the history of King Township, specifically in the development of Kinghorn.   The most northern “existing house” showing on Appendix B is the Burns home built in 1849.  A Heritage Impact Assessment was done in 2008 as part of the Kingview Manors development.  As Township did not opt to either preserve the house in its current site or to move it to the Museum there will be an interpretive plaque.  One of the interesting facts about Mr. Burns:  he donated the lands for the Kinghorn school which is our Museum today.