On Council agenda for Monday April 3rd there is a staff report proposing a significant process change for assessing applications from property owners in the three villages to implement projects on their property which would result in increasing the amount of hardscaping (non permeable) on their property. This needs to be regulated as too much hardscaping can impact neighboring properties and it precludes groundwater recharge. The goal of the change is to streamline the process for the benefit of property owners. As the issue often emerges in combination with projects such as pool installations, building new houses or cabanas and modifying driveways it makes sense to include evaluation of such in the site alteration application process. There will be a presentation by Staff on this proposal.
I do have several questions about some of the details. And I do have concern that we are very permissive in approving reductions in soft landscaping (formerly called permeable) areas. (To clarify, this concern is not new.) The importance of groundwater recharge, green spaces, is increasing with climate change. Often LIDs (low impact measures such as swales) are being proposed to compensate for a reduction; as most of the latter is in backyards there is no means for ensuring that they are maintained after installation. This latter risk is heightened when there is sale of property.
As approved at the March 20 Council meeting the council chambers are open to the public once again. To make a deputation (either in person or virtually) register with the Clerk by noon Monday, April 3 at clerks@king.ca. You can also email your questions or comments on same timing to clerks@king.ca and they will be circulated to Council and appropriate Staff.
It would be lovely to incent homeowners to move from asphalt to gravel driveways and walkways, or patio stones with grass between the slabs.
It is interesting we would focus on the homeowners requests for pools etc when the township removes hundreds of trees along the 15th, in preparation for the widening of the asphalt road to accommodate the new buildings in king township. It is disheartening to witness the lightning speed in which land is being replaced by roads and subdivisions. The next generation will pay for our greed.
Hi Terri, I understand your dismay about the tree cutting. And even though there will be tree replacement (I don’t remember how many per cut tree) a young tree takes decades to really replace what is cut down. It is appropriate to try to regulate changes people are making in their backyard as flooding into neighbours’ properties can affect trees and bushes there.