Essa opposed to settlement area status for Thornton
by Richard Blanchard

Essa council is worried about the possible designation of Thornton as a settlement area under its new Growth Plan.

Council was told last week that, if the province designated Thornton, as a provincial settlement area, that future development in the community would have to be intensified over the next seven years.

Township planner Colleen Philips said that intensification would mean that a certain number of new homes would be required to be built on smaller lots and intensification would also be required in the downtown.

Phillips said such intensification would be impossible to do with the reliance on septic systems in the community.

"We have designated Angus as a settlement area because it has access to communal sewage facilities. There is also the possibility of a communal sewage system in Baxter," she said.

Local councillor Rick Newlove said that Thornton already had parking problems in its downtown area and existing settlement areas use septic tanks.

"It just doesn't make sense," he said. "I just don't want to see this designation put in place and catch people off guard,"

Mayor Dave Guergis said that the township might be put in a bind if the Thornton was declared a settlement area and a developer bought several hundred acres surrounding the village. "I don't know what the township's responsibilities would be," he said.

Council will discuss a response at its next council meeting.