Attempts to ensure that there was no disruption to the potable water supply for campers at Tawingo College, and some bad advice, got its owners into a bit of hot water with neighbours.
According to Huntsville planning staff, the camp’s existing pump house was entering into a state of disrepair and to ensure the camp continued to have potable water for its patrons, a new pump house was installed along the shoreline in a storage container with an area of roughly 18.6 square metres.
Committee heard vegetation was cleared to make room for the new structure, which was placed three metres instead of the required seven metres, from the westerly side lot. In addition, a building permit was not obtained and the site plan agreement in place for the property was not amended to reflect the new structure.
But staff said the property owner has indicated that plans are in the works to cover the storage container with cedar and to undertake a re-vegetation plan by a qualified professional for the area between the new pump house and the side lot line.
“Staff feel that these two measures will aid in addressing any potential compatibility issues with positioning the structure at a reduced setback to the side lot line,” stated Huntsville Senior Planner Elizabeth Reimer at the Aug. 15 planning committee meeting.
To rectify the situation, an amendment was before committee to rezone the camp from an Institutional Camp (CS3) Zone to an Institutional Camp (CS3) Zone with an exception to permit:
- A pump house with a building area of 18.6sq.m and associated retaining walls to be constructed a minimum of 3.0m from the westerly side lot line.
- That the development be subject to site plan control.
- A detailed re-vegetation plan be completed by a qualified professional and designed to the satisfaction of the Town to be submitted as part of the site plan approval process. The re-vegetation plan must incorporate native species and trees shall have a caliper size greater than 80mm.
Mike Pearse, representing Tawingo College, was before committee and apologized to the Town “for the misstep of having not applied for a site amendment or a building permit, before we began the project in question.”
Pearse explained that it was a mistake that was made in good faith based on the information that was available at the time from the licensed engineer who designed the system. “And while we have since redressed the mistake with an application, it was none the less a misstep. We do not like nor do we feel good about not doing the right thing from the get go, nor do we have a history of doing so. We’re sorry for having done so this time.”
Pearse also apologized to staff for the time they’ve had to spend on the issue as well as the camp’s neighbours and said it is not at all the way the camp would hope to develop its relationship with them.
He explained that the system was placed in a sea can container in order to build it off-site and bring it to the required location with minimal disturbance. Pearse also noted the intent was to ensure there was no disruption to the water supply, which is why the old system was not removed before the new one was installed. It was also noted that the location was chosen because that’s the area where the two drilled wells exist on the property.
“We couldn’t simply tear down the old building and build a new one in its place, then we would’ve been without water for an extended period of time,” he explained. “In other words we needed that old building to keep chugging along while the new system was built, brought to us and ready to install.”
He also said the shipping container has no foundation, which meant less impact on the land by not having to dig a foundation the way another type of building would have required. He said he was also mistakenly advised that a sea can would not require a building permit or an alteration to the existing site plan.
We had no reason to doubt the engineer’s assurances nor we hope you appreciate would it make any sense for us to knowingly ignore Town protocols. Tia and I and our family live here and have for 20 years. Huntsville is our only home. As a business the sole purpose of which is to look after other people’s children, many of them from Huntsville, Tawingo’s success depends almost entirely on our reputation. What a terrible risk to our reputation and to our family’s place in this community had we intentionally tried to skirt Town protocols.Mike Pearse, Tawingo College
Jamie Robinson, planning consultant for the neighbours to the west of the camp told committee that a shipping container of that size on a shoreline property in the Town of Huntsville is not appropriate or good land-use planning. He also argued that “installing a sea can on the shoreline of a lakefront property in the Town of Huntsville, in my view, does not conform to the Official Plan.”
He said the recommendation before committee required more work and that any zoning amendment should be considered in tandem with the amended site plan agreement to address revegetation and the structure’s visual impact.
On behalf of his clients, Robinson said they did not want to be before committee and reiterated that it was unfortunate that they were placed in the position of having to ask the Town to recognize that modifications have been made that impact their property.
In the end, committee deferred the application so that all parties could work towards a resolution.
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Camp Tawingo has been a part of the Huntsville and greater Muskoka area for almost 60 years. We host the Lake Vernon Association meetings every season and are active participants and advocates of shoreline restoration. A large portion of our property is managed forest and a significant section of our waterfront is protected wetlands. We are a business that strives to foster environmental stewardship in our staff and the thousands of campers and students who spend time here every summer.
I was at this meeting and the respectful apology from Tawingo was acknowledged and even though we all know the rules about shipping containers we continue to see them in the community . The Planning meeting had a proposal on the agenda for a site behind the Waterloo building that had an obvious shipping container in the pictures provided by staff. No one mentioned it….
There are so many infractions going on in and around Huntsville that it would take the staff and committee years to follow up on what is going on out here. From large docks set on the shoreline without permits to clearcutting along shore lines on property that belongs to the town. Good for these people who brought it to the attention of the town. Too many times, we are looking the other way as people move into our lakes and take ownership of the shore lines with the thought that they can do what they want now and beg forgiveness later when they get caught.