Carleton Place putting a lid on noise
At Tuesday, Dec 7th, meetings of Carleton Place council and their committee of the whole, revisions to the town’s noise bylaw were up for discussion. Protective Services Director Pascal Meunier reported that the growth of construction and its accompanying noise was taking a toll on residents and the pace of new builds isn’t expected to ease in the near future. After discussion with area contractors, he was recommending extending the hours when heavy equipment use would be prohibited. Currently dozers and excavators can start at 6 am and operate on Sundays and holidays. As most new building construction in town requires rock breaking and extraction, the disruption to normal residential life can be substantial.
The proposed changes would prohibit heavy equipment and machinery from operating between 9 pm at night and 7 am in the morning on weekdays, from 8 pm to 6 am on Saturdays, and would institute a total ban on Sundays and stat holidays. Council approved the changes.
Tax rates set
Town Treasurer Trisa McConkey provided another draft of the 2022 budget to council with her recommendations for a 1.97% tax increase. This would add roughly $40 for a property valued at Carleton Place’s median of $284,500. She detailed the pressures on municipal finances from inflation, anticipated lower provincial grants, Mississippi Mills withdrawal from the joint recreation and library cost sharing agreements, and some major capital projects such as the central bridge replacement.
The committee approved the proposal and the public can provide their comments until Dec 14th. A special council meeting will be held on Dec 16th for the final decision.
McConkey also reported that Mississippi Mills was disputing the final invoice for their cost-sharing agreement and instead of paying the $198K that was invoiced by Carleton Place; they sent a cheque for $60K less. The committee requested staff gather more information on any recourse the town may have in collecting the outstanding amount. As of next month, Mississippi Mills residents wishing to use Carleton Place recreational facilities such as the pool or arena will be paying non-resident rates.
Used car lot gets thumbs down
A proposal to turn 124 Moore Street (the former home of SRC Music) into a collision appraisal center and used vehicle sales facility was turned down by council. The applicant, owner of 2 Carstar Collision franchises in Ottawa, wished to renovate the building and upgrade the landscaping and parking area and confirmed no vehicle repairs would take place on site, only inspections. The property has a special clause in its zoning that prohibits vehicle sales. Early in its history the site was home to an automotive repair garage. The consensus on council was that the proposed use was not a good fit for the neighbourhood and a less than desirable operation at the southern entry to the downtown business sector.
