Special Clearview Council Meeting - Public Planning Meeting 2026-02-25

Council hears request to keep farm dwelling, rezone 43 hectares to block future homes

Planning · Standard

Stevens & Company applied to sever a surplus farmhouse at 5840 County Road 9 and rezone the remaining 43-hectare parcel to prohibit residential use. The family has been farming in Clearview for 75 years and plans to consolidate the retained land with another farm 1.5 km away. No public objections were raised.

The Stevens family wants to carve off a half-hectare lot containing an existing house built in 2000, located in the southeast corner of their 43.6-hectare farm on County Road 9 west of Newlowell. The house has its own well, septic, and driveway, and has been "rendered surplus" to their operation—the family lives on other properties.

The application asks council to rezone the retained 43-hectare parcel from Agricultural to Agricultural-Residential Exception, specifically to prohibit any future residential uses. That's standard practice for surplus farm severances: you get to keep the old house, but the farmland stays farmland.

The Stevens operate 11 farm parcels in Clearview totaling 338 hectares, plus another farm in Adjala-Tosorontio. The retained parcel will be consolidated with their farm at 2976 34 Sideroad, about 1.5 km away. Planner Marie Laroo, representing the applicant, told council the proposal is "consistent with provincial policies" and protects prime agricultural land.

Councillor MacArthur called it "one of the better scenarios" because the house sits in a corner rather than carved from the middle of the property. Deputy Mayor Measures confirmed there are no outbuildings on the severed lot and asked about an adjacent "mineral extraction" designation on the official plan; staff clarified it's a former LAFARGE pit that's been rehabilitated and no longer active.

No one from the public spoke. The application will return to council for a decision on March 9. Both the severed lot and the retained parcel exceed minimum zoning requirements for size and frontage.

I just want to make comment that because the surplus dwelling is right in the corner of the property, it's one of the better scenarios I think that we've seen rather than having a excerpt from the middle of the property somewhere.
— Councillor (unspecified ward)

The main goal of the agricultural policies in Clear View's official plan is to maintain and preserve agriculturally viable farm units operating in the township's historical agricultural committee community.
— Planner (Marie Laroo, agent)

Walker Aggregates wants to keep crushing and shipping at main Duntroon site, reversing earlier plan

Planning · Significant

Walker Aggregates applied to amend the official plan so it can continue processing stone from the Duntroon Quarry expansion at the original quarry site south of Township Road 91, instead of relocating operations to the expansion lands. The change is necessary because a 2015 agreement to close the road between the two sites was terminated. A deeper excavation is also proposed but falls under separate provincial approvals.

Walker Aggregates operates two licensed quarry sites on opposite sides of Township Road 91 west of Duntroon: the original Duntroon Quarry to the south, and the Duntroon Quarry Expansion to the north. Right now, all crushing, processing, and shipping happens at the south site. Stone extracted from the expansion travels south via a tunnel under the road.

Under the existing official plan policy, Walker was supposed to move the processing plant and truck entrance to the expansion site once there was enough room on the quarry floor. That policy was written assuming Township Road 91 between the two sites would be closed and conveyed to Walker. But the township and Walker terminated that agreement, so the road stays open.

Walker now wants to formally scrap the relocation requirement and keep everything on the south side. Planner Ellen Ferris, representing the applicant, argued it's safer: trucks would continue turning right from the existing entrance rather than making left turns across Township Road 91 from a new entrance on the expansion side. She also said the processing plant is currently well-screened on the quarry floor and would be more visible if relocated north.

The application is paired with concurrent approvals at the Niagara Escarpment Commission and the Ministry of Natural Resources to deepen both quarries by 10 to 15 metres, from 500 metres above sea level down to between 490 and 485. Councillor MacArthur asked about final rehabilitation; Ferris confirmed the plan calls for two lakes but said she didn't have final water levels on hand.

Councillor Belin asked why processing had to happen on the same site as extraction. Staff explained it's typically considered an accessory use, but in this case the policy was tied to the assumption the south site would eventually close. Mayor Measures clarified that the amendment applies to both licensed sites and emphasized the importance of the aggregate industry to the community and province.

No public delegations. The Mayor noted the application will likely face detailed scrutiny at the county level. A staff recommendation will come back to council at a future meeting.

Ultimately using the existing entrance exit on the south side of Township Road 91 is safer than establishing a new entrance on the north side as it maintains an existing traffic pattern.
— Planner (Ellen Ferris, MHBC Planning)

It's important that we understand this all together. I'm confident that if this goes as far as the county that the county will also have lots of questions and there's many members of the house there will ask many questions about this too.
— Mayor

To me, that whole pit both sides is really one gravel pit if you ask me. But I guess it's separated into two.
— Councillor Belin