Finally the dock issue may be settled, June 21st

On Tuesday June 21st, 2016, the Dock issue will be before Council once again, this time may be the last.

Chris Jones, the Planner who has been working on this issue for the Township, has prepared options & recommendations for Council's consideration.

In his report, he has outlined three options for Council;

1) Maintain dock regulation in the manner recommended and deliberated by Council.  This essentially is a recommendation to approve the February 25 draft of the bylaw.  If this happens, cottagers would have to cope with the problematic elements that this bylaw included and that they spoke against though presumably Council has the ability to exercise their own revisions.  Council received MANY public objections to this draft bylaw. 

2) Eliminate dock regulation with the exception that two regulations currently found in Zoning By-Law 26-2013 would be maintained and modified to ensure they are applied outward from the high water mark.  THIS is the option that most waterfront owners who have raised objections would likely appreciate though it is not an option that Mr Jones opines as a preferred long term way to manage the development of docks and marine facilities.  

3) Maintain all dock regulations with the exception that maximum dock surface area would be replaced with a regulation that limits dock width to a maximum cumulative width of the shoreline.  This option is taken in part from a submission received at the May 28th meeting.  Mr Jones report advises that the shortcoming of such a regulation could lead to the creation of larger docks.  Though it has never been articulated that there is an active effort to prevent larger docks, it is inferred by the small to medium size dock limitations - and whether you would be able to have a medium is all conditional to the length of ramp you require.  It has never been shared why there is a problem to have a larger dock.

The meeting will be help on Tuesday June 21st at 10:45 am in the meeting room of the Township of North Kawartha at 280 Burleigh Street in Apsley.  This meeting is open for the public to attend as observers.

This will be a very difficult decision for Council, we hope it is a decision that will be good for waterfront owners and will not impact the way they enjoy their cottage in a negative way.