Residents plan to contest zoning change for transportation depot

A small group of residents living near the corner of Highway 34 and Aberdeen Road contested a zoning amendment on Wednesday, September 14, to oppose a planned transportation depot from being established near their homes.

The land in question belongs to Mike Sauvé, owner of Mike's Waste Disposal on Cassburn Road, and the zoning change is being requested to allow a transportation depot to be developed at a location "that is built to accept truck traffic year-round," according to the application.

The land, a 3.69-acre parcel, has a frontage of 11.5 metres on Aberdeen Road West and is mainly covered by a woodlot. According to the township's planner, Dominique Lefebvre, all four surrounding lands include residential uses, as well as some wooded areas.

It is precisely for that reason that Aberdeen West resident Jean-Paul Laframboise plans to oppose the change, along with another dozen or so residents.

"We set up here because it was rural," he said. "It was a place with a good surrounding. There's enough traffic from the 34 that makes noise, and we don't want more of it."

Nearby resident Romy Eichler told The Review that the depot is not just a matter of consistent truck traffic, but will also result in unpleasant smells and unwelcome noise.

"It's not just trucks, we're also talking garbage," she said. "In 30 to 35-degree heat in July, it's going to smell. We're kind of saying, 'It's fine, it's got to go somewhere.' But does it have to be in someone's backyard?"

However, Sauvé said while he understood the residents' concerns, he wanted to remind people that the proposed depot site is adjacent to a highway. He also noted the site would likely be used between early morning and late evening, but not necessarily 24 hours.

"The traffic at the depot is not going to be any worse than what's already on the 34," he said. "I live on Cassburn Road and I hear the trucks passing during the night, too."

He said having the depot in Champlain Township would allow his company to keep local drivers employed and if the zoning change is rejected, it might mean having to relocate to another township.

For her part, Eichler said she worries that the truck depot will become an unsightly entrance point for residents and visitors to Vankleek Hill. She commended Sauvé for his work in cleaning up the property and placing gravel on the site, but reiterated the location is unsuitable for the intended use.

"These are dumping trucks, with containers with garbage in it. Someone might pick that up at two in the morning. Or, it could be sitting for a day and a half on a hot July day. We all know how sealed [the containers] are. The tarps are not foolproof. It's noise pollution and it's air pollution."

In his report to council, Champlain Township's chief building official, Jacques Gauthier, commented that a site-plan agreement "must be requested" if a transportation depot is allowed on the property.

"A detailed site plan will be required, showing where trucks and trailers will be allowed to park and setback from property lines shall be properly indicated," he noted. "Council shall pay particular attention to existing houses (1084 and 1104 Aberdeen Road) on adjacent lots."