Maryhill residents will get their say on a large communications tower proposed for the village, the company having agreed this week to hold another public meeting.
Shared Network Canada (SNC) had previously held a public information centre, though it was lightly publicized and held in Bloomingdale. In the meantime, there has been growing opposition to the plan, which calls for a 65-metre (213-foot) tower to be installed on a farm property on St. Charles Street, just east of the village.
Having received a multitude of feedback from residents, Woolwich’s planning department last month asked the company to add another public meeting into the mix.
“There’s been a lot of them,” said manager of planning John Scarfone of the comments received, noting the township itself had found the public consultation process to be “lacking.”
The township has been passing along the comments it receives to SNC.
The company has acknowledged the feedback, pledging to incorporate the comments into its review of the tower proposal.
“We would like to ensure all residents we are actively working to review the impact the tower would have on the community and will notify residents of any changes to our proposal in order to receive your valued input,” said spokesman Dom Claros in an email statement Tuesday that announced plans for another open house meeting, this time in Maryhill.
Among the issues for the company to address is a newly released study that identifies Maryhill as a good candidate for a cultural heritage landscape designation. The review carried out by the Heritage Resources Centre at the University of Waterloo looked at significant locations in Woolwich and Wellesley townships.
A communication tower would certainly alter the landscape around Maryhill, argued Bonnie Bryant, a village resident who served on the steering committee for the study.
Residents have been rallying in opposition to the tower project, with a petition in the works, she said in noting they’re all concerned about the dramatic impact it would have on the rural landscape.
“The whole village is going to see it – it’s huge. People are not happy,” she said in an interview, adding the company seemed to be trying to keep the issue under the radar, slipping by without much notice.
With another public meeting, she expects a strong turnout.
“There would be questions that they’d have to answer. They have to prove a need for this tower,” said Bryant, who sent her written concerns to the company and township. “I personally don’t see it’s going to benefit us.
The heritage study should be added reason to halt or relocate the project, she stressed.
Given the recentness of the study, neither the township nor the company has had much time to consider its impacts.
At SNC, the study is now being assessed.
“Our team is also currently reviewing the heritage studies conducted on the area and have not had a chance to finalize our review with the township,” said Claros.
Scarfone said he’d be looking at the document as part of the township’s report and comments on the project, a process that include issues of land-use compatibility and the suitability of the location.
Because communications towers fall under federal jurisdiction, municipalities have no decision-making power – Woolwich can only comment on the proposal, he noted.
