During a May 14 committee-of-the-whole meeting, Minden Hills council discussed the ways the township might more tightly control development in shoreline areas, including whether or not to continue the practice of selling shoreline road allowances to property owners.

 

“As a result of council’s concerns regarding the hardening of shorelines within the township, such as through the use of armour stone retaining walls, proposed bylaws put before council on Sept. 26, 2019 to stop up, close, and convey parts of the original shore road allowance were deferred and staff were directed to look into how the township could ensure the hardening of shorelines were prevented,” read a report from township planner Ian Clendening.

 

While the County of Haliburton had been working on a draft shoreline preservation bylaw that would have more further controlled any development within 30 metres of the high-water mark, that process has been derailed by the COVID-19 crisis. The plan had been to facilitate an in-depth public consultation process, including a number of public meetings, throughout the summer on the controversial bylaw.
Clendening told council he could also start bringing what he called “thin edge of the wedge” cases directly to council. For example, a property owner wishing to replace a deteriorating wooden retaining wall on their property with a stone wall.

 

More than half of the shoreline in the township is already privately owned, with 51 per cent belonging to private landowners and 49 per cent to the township. Council will discuss the issue again.