Paving of Horseshoe Hill Road will proceed
By ALAN LICZYK Staff Reporter

The hard surfacing of Horseshoe Hill Road between Olde Base Line Road and Charleston Sideroad will proceed as planned despite earlier objections from a resident of that road.

Caledon council agreed last Tuesday with Town staff 's recommendation to pave Horseshoe Hill Road because most of the residents were in favour of it. Council received a petition last year in which almost 70 per cent of the road's residents participated with most of them favouring hard surfacing.

One resident of Horseshoe Hill Road, however, told council at its June 19 meeting that he was never consulted and that there's a protected wetland running through that area. John Coups added there was no public consultation regarding the expense of public money.

Councillor Richard Paterak told him council invites the public every year to its budget meetings where these decisions are made.

Craig Campbell, director of public works and engineering, told council at the July 3 meeting there are no restrictions under provincial policies or the Caledon Official Plan to paving a gravel road.

"We believe there's a net benefit to hard surfacing that road," he said.

He acknowledged a section of Horseshoe Hill Road crosses through a portion of the Star Wetland Complex.

Coups had argued the Star Wetland Complex is occupied by an endangered species and a protected species, and that council hasn't investigated the environmental impact of hard surfacing.

Campbell explained in his report the Provincial Policy Statement prohibits development and site alteration in significant wetlands, woodlands, valleylands, wildlife habitat and areas of natural and scientific interest unless it's been demonstrated there will be no negative impact on the natural features or their ecological functions.

"The hard surfacing of an existing road does not fall with the definition of either 'development' or 'site alteration' within the PPS, so there is no reason, provincially, why this section of Horseshoe Hill Road cannot be hard surfaced," he commented.

He added the Caledon Official Plan designates certain lands on either side of Horseshoe Hill Road between Olde Base Line Road and Charleston Sideroad as environmental policy area, and the Star Wetland Complex is included in this EPA. Under the Official Plan new development is prohibited within areas designated EPA with certain exceptions, including essential infrastructure. The hard surfacing of an existing road, however, doesn't fall within the Town's definition of "development."