May 2012

March Rural Community Association

Minutes

May 9, 2012

President Judy Makin called the meeting to order at 7:35.

1.      Attending Directors:  Wendy Barber, Mary Dekok, Marjorie Edwards, Todd Lafontaine, Judy Makin, Ken McQueen, Dave Steadman, Ann Ward, Brian Ward, Tricia Willink.

Regrets: Alex Aronec, Chris Busby, Marie Cook, Bob Gregory, Phoebe Webber, Martha Webber.

2.      Circulation of Correspondence:

  • April minutes
  • Notice of YMCA open house (May 12th)
  • MRCA article in the Kourier/EMC
  • Notice of tree planting along Shirley’s Brook (May 12th)
  • Information about Emerald Ash Borer
  • Judy’s letter to MOE re: Protection of Endangered Species Act

3.      Colleen McKee presented a very helpful slide presentation about poison ivy. It was agreed that Trish would work with Colleen to put the presentation up on the MRCA website.

4.      Development Applications

  • 1621 and 1675 – 6th Line Road: application to severe adjoining properties (total 140 acres) owned by one family to provide for four residences instead of one, and to provide frontage on 6th Line of 76 metres each. Concerns expressed: water quality and quantity (4 wells, septic systems, blasting involved in construction); environmental (ANSI designation, backs onto Mud Pond, is included in NCC proposed expansion of the Green Belt, deer yard); traffic on 6th Line (addition of 4 driveways on very dangerous curve, very poor sightlines, playing fields across the road). Ravenbeck Water Study (1990s) may be the only hydrological study of area: it recommends 25 acre lots, some 10 acres in that area. Judy will notify the City and NCC of these concerns. Neighbours, including Wendy, will attend the hearing at the City on May 16th.
  • Outdoor wood burning boilers:  Trish will communicate our concerns – the proposed height of the chimney; recognition of differences in boilers, i.e., EPA approved, fuel efficiency, should be included in the regulations. Follow-up
  • 16 Marchbrook Circle: property rezoning to reduce setback from high water mark. Dave agreed to investigate further.

5.      Business arising from March minutes

  • The possibility of MRCA contributing to the Richcraft Recreation Complex was rejected: MRCA investments are losing value; if the September 8th celebration at the Sheila McKee Park makes any money, MRCA will consider the possibility again.
  • Incorporation forms have been submitted to the government.
  • Marjorie reported on the Planning Summit: it was the first in a series of city-sponsored meetings in preparation for the next update of the Official Plan.

6.      Dave is preparing the grant to the city, due June 30th, for the September 8thcelebration of Sheila McKee Park: we will use one of the YMCA facilities and some staff to supervise the kinderpark; plans include interpretative trail walks, barbeque, games, face painting. The local dog club will be invited to demonstrate, and the horticultural club to offer plants for sale. Wendy and Judy will help Dave to organize this. Eli indicated that his office will also contribute. Others to be invited: possibly the Riverkeeper, MOE.

7.      Brian Baker showed us piece of an ash tree and explained how to identify the effects of the Emerald Ash Borer. He suggested planting oak and maple trees, as these are not under threat at this time. Kempville Foresty Station is a good source for trees. The decision between inoculation every two years for six years and cutting will have to be made by landowners, as the EAB is in this area. David Miller has been invited to the June meeting to discuss the City’s plan for the rural areas.

8.      Treasurer’s Report: the $12,300 in the current account will be moved into 2 GICs. The current GIC for $4,200 will come due in September.

9.      New business:

  • The date for the celebration of the Peoples’ Choice Award at the South March Conservation Area (off 2nd Line Road at Klondike Road) has been changed to June 2nd.
  • Trish volunteered to manage the web site over the summer, and suggested that MRCA seek a high school student to fill their volunteer hours with this project starting in the fall.
  • Wendy noted that policing at the Sheila McKee Park is not effective. It was agreed that more phone calls to 911 more regularly. A letter of concern will also be sent to the police.
  • Ann Ward announced that the local Women’s Institute is disbanding, and that they have donated their cupboard at the Town Hal, and its contents, to the MRCA. We asked Ann to convey our appreciation for the cups and coffee makers. An off-shoot of the WI, the Kanata Kozy Quilters, continues to meet at the Legion hall, and there is still a chapter in Dunrobin.
  • The April minutes were approved.

The meeting was adjourned.

Next meeting: June 13, 2012.

Watching briefs:  Sheila McKee Park; bridge to Aylmer via Riddell Drive; commuter train from Pontiac to Ottawa via Kanata.

Follow-up

The following was received from the City of Ottawa regarding the wood burning boilers:

“At this time, we’ve decided to use the zoning by-law to regulate the devices.  Unfortunately it does not allow us to get too specific about emissions, it really regulates use.  As a result, we are creating a definition that will exclude any type of automatically fed hydronic heater – outdoor pellet burners really.  Pellet burners are included on the Environmental Protection Agency’s list of cleaner heaters, so no regulations will apply to these.

“We’ve decided not to regulate batch-loaded units based on emissions because we’ve learned from our friends in Vermont who were among the first to regulate these devices that the Phase 2 EPA units have still caused considerable smoke nuisances in their state.  Numerous retailers have also reluctantly admitted that the EPA units can still smoke if the owner is negligent in any way.  For this reason we feel warranted in applying setback requirements to these cleaner units, but it’s great that people are deciding to purchase these.  We’re being told that the EPA is going to release a national emission regulation for hydronic heaters later this year.  If that happens, we will definitely look to regulating emissions as well.  If the USA adopts a national emissions standard the marketplace will quickly make the shift to exclusively supply these cleaner units since most of the manufacturers are American, as with the unit demand.  The EPA may even speak to specific setbacks for these cleaner models which we could use to inform our regulation. “