Wallace Street rezoning heads to council... again Businessman’s hopes to relocate to undeveloped land depends on reaching agreement

By Jim Dumville – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

AWoodstock business- man’s request to rezone a property at the end of Wallace Street will head to council for the second time.

Woodstock’s Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) debated the request for the second time on Monday, March 20. And for the second time, they sent it to council with recommendations.

Jason Cox, the owner of Cover-Tech, requested the rezoning last September to clear the way for his purchase of the property to relocate his business. Last fall, the PAC recommended the rezoning with restrictions, but council determined the request required further study.

Following public hearings by PAC and council last fall, the former Woodstock council recommended the process begin again. In the meantime, town officials would seek details from the municipal plan, including long-term plans for the large tract of underdeveloped land stretching east of the Trans Canada Highway between Wallace Street, off Houlton Street, and Beardsley Road.

The second process began again during a PAC meeting held at noon on March 20.

Cox and Wallace Street residents attended the public meeting with PAC members.

Emily Colborne, a planning consultant with Dillon Consulting, joined remotely to explain PAC’s responsibilities and the legal requirements to rezone the property from rural resource to light industrial.

Woodstock CAO Andrew Garnett also attended the meeting remotely.

As they had in the first attempt to rezone the property, residents from the two homes on Wallace Street raised concerns about the proposed business’s impact on the already deteriorating street. They made it clear that with proper upgrades to the street, they did not oppose the business.

In her presentation to PAC, Colburne described the location of the approximately 23-acre lot in question.

Wallace Street — a dead-end, partly paved street — sits north of the property. The Calvary Church sits at the end of Wallace Street, which is also home to two residential houses.

The Trans Canada Highway sits immediately to the west of the property. Otherwise, the property is surrounded by undeveloped green, and wooded land zoned as rural resources.

A portion of the property is zoned as environmentally protected, surrounding a brook which runs diagonally across undeveloped areas. Cox told the River Valley Sun his construction plans would not encroach on the protected areas.

Based on Colburne’s suggestion, PAC voted to recommend rezoning to council under strict and detailed conditions.

PAC approved rezoning the property from Rural Resource to Light Industrial to allow the construction of a retail business and warehouse once the owner and town resolve strict conditions.

Cox must confirm he established a legal easement over a town-owned property for a driveway to his business. It also must build the driveway at his expense to the satisfaction of Woodstock’s Director of Public Works and Utility.

The property owner must reach an agreement with the town to design and upgrade Wallace Street. He also must meet Environmental Protection landuse requirements.

Before passing the motion to move the rezoning request to council, the PAC asked Cox if he wanted to proceed.

The business owner agreed, noting he expected to be able to work with town officials to reach agreements on conditions.

“We’re talking about upgrades,” he said. “I don’t know what that entails.”

Garnett explained the PAC’s stated conditions allow the process to move forward. He said Cox would want to discuss his