Greening of Chelsea
Reuel S. Amdur
Chelsea held its August Council meeting later than usual in the month, on the 20th. The meeting was held at Farm Point Community Centre. Our big story about that meeting was our inability to get to it. What was left of Hurricane Debby managed to tear up chunks of River Road. We were unable to get there from the west---road closure. Same thing from the east, with heavy machinery bordering a big hole where the road used to be. We went on a wild drive, through detours and backing away from blocked roads. We gave up and went home. Yet, other people did manage to get there and the meeting went ahead. When we reviewed the recorded version of the meeting, it appeared that not much was missed. Perhaps the most interesting thing in the session was the suggestion by David Stockwell that Council forbid heating with wood-burning in new and renovated housing, as a measure to curtail production of greenhouse gases.
On the same wavelength, at the September 10 meeting Chelsea Council voted to join with LaPêche, Cantley, and Val-des-Monts to call for tenders for the collection, transportation, and disposal of garbage, organic waste, recyclable materials, and bulky items. Council Rita Jain wanted to be assured that the project would not entail transportation to distant places, creating air pollution. She was told that the MRC-des-Collines plans to establish its own ecological centre for the purpose.
Council also addressed a problem in the master plan. In a section of Route 105 where the restaurant Les Fougères and a few other usages are located, in a section zoned residential, Council’s wish to deal with the nonconforming usage has been stymied by the province. Councillor Beverly Chan explained that Chelsea wanted to make for some flexibility for possible changes. It wanted to allow permit the transfer of property to other uses if the new usage was no greater nuisance to the community. The province said no. Should Les Fougères be sold, the only use permitted would be another restaurant. It would not be possible to use the property for law offices, for example. She expressed frustration with the province, suggesting that local councils are in a better position to make such a call than officials far away in Quebec City.
Council has come up with another approach to the zoning problem. In Hollow Glen, there is a section zoned for business, with no business there. Chelsea proposes to transfer the business zoning from Hollow Glen to the property around Les Fougères, with the residential designation there transferred to Hollow Glen. It remains to be seen if Quebec goes along with this.
