Wanstead families make their case to stop plans for a livestock trailer washing business next to their homes

Heather Wright/The Independent

Forty-one years ago Melody Halliday and her young family moved to Wanstead – “a neighborhood where kids would play outside, ride their bikes and drink from the garden hose without fearing anything.”

Today, that safe neighbourhood feels threatened, she told Plympton-Wyoming councillors Wednesday during a public meeting.

Her concern lies with a plan by Cornerstone Group Investments to build a livestock trailer washing facility next door to her home and the houses of five of her neighbours. “This will ruin their lives. This will ruin their properties and their lives and their quality of life living there,” she said, adding it will effect them every day of their life.

The History

Cornerstone first went to Plympton-Wyoming and Lambton County officials with a plan for the 5309 and 5310 Leyton Street properties in 2022. Documents obtained by the residents under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act show owner Pat Belanger was given a building permit for 5309 Leyton for a strawberry operation.

County building officials inspected the property several times and made notations there was not a strawberry operation there. Building inspectors have yet to give official approval to use the building.

Today, a 7,900 square foot building is on the site. Cornerstone’s planners say the it is a grain storage facility. The building has several large bay doors.

Cornerstone Group first brought the full plan for the trailer washing facility to the town in October 2023. By February 2024, the company had all its planning studies complete for council to consider.

At the time, the neighbours had not voiced concerns noted Jordan Fohkens of BMRoss, a consulting firm acting for the county’s planning department on the proposal.

But about 30 people from the hamlet came to the public meeting April 29, 2024 opposing the project. Before council had the opportunity to talk about it, Cornerstone Group owner asked council not to make a decision that evening. He wanted to address the concerns residents had raised in letters to the municipality.

Public Meeting

Wednesday, Cornerstones’ plans were front and centre during a planning meeting at the Plympton-Wyoming Fairgrounds. About 150 people sat at tables and were led through the public meeting by consultant Brian Boyle, hired by the town and the county to run the public input portion of the meeting. In the back of the room, two OPP officers, again paid for by the town and the municipality, sat at the ready in case tempers flared.

Fohkens, from BM Ross, told the crowd that right now, 5310 Leyton is zoned for a warehouse or industries supporting agriculture such as agricultural implement sales and services, agricultural supply stores, a farm market or bulk fuel depot. The company wants specific zoning for the property to allow a building containing two washing bays, two bays for storage and maintenance of their own vehicles and office space for the company.

Across the road, 5309 Leyton is currently designated for homes, farms with a house, a bed and breakfast, a nursery or park. Cornerstone wants to add specific zoning to allow the 7,900 square foot building already on site to become a drying unit for the trailers. Another shed would be built big enough to house five transport truck trailers when they arrive.

The site would also include a closed-loop wash water treatment system which received approval through the Environmental Compliance Approvals branch of the Ministry of the Environment in Sept. 2021.

The plan is for between six and eight transports to arrive daily Monday to Saturday between 6 am and 6pm. They’d be parked inside the closed garage at 5309 Leyton then cross the road to 5310 Leyton when a wash bay is open. After the washing process is complete, the transports would return to the drying building to be dried or “baked.”

Reports from both the county and company’s consultants state Cornerstone will have 15 employees working from the site.

The Concerns

Residents voiced concerns about the smells, the water run off from the lots which are now higher than the neighbours’ yards, more traffic from the transports, and noise from the vehicles’ backup systems.

The biggest concern by far was whether the residents well water will be safe from the feces and bacteria cleaned from the transports and stored in the closed-loop water washing treatment system.

Neighbours, including Halliday pointed out even the best designed systems fail.

“Every time it rains, water runs off of this lot into my backyard, flooding it,” she said. “Nothing is stopping contaminants from washing into my yard right where my water well is located.”

Halliday says the well cap is just 52 inches from Cornerstone’s property line.

“Even closed loop systems designed with the best intentions have the potential to fail. Who is responsible, who pays for it when the inevitable happens? (When) people get sick when they can’t drink their own water from the ground?”

It was a thought echoed by Jess Jessome who also lives next door. “Closed loop does not mean zero risk and when the failures occur, it’s the residents who suffer not the developer.”

“We don’t have water line,” said Kari Lupton, “and unless you guys (town officials) are going into the study and figure out what that costs and back us up if something happens, I don’t want that (development.) That’s nine families, nine houses that could be unsellable if something happens to our water.”

The issue of placing the facility in the middle of six homes was also a big concern.

“We are not saying there is no need for the proposed commercial usage; we are staying not in the middle of six residential homes in the hamlet of Wansted,” said Cindy King whose small farm faces the washing area.

“The hamlet of Wanstead is not the appropriate location for this commercial usage. Our families matter, too.”

Residents are also concerned Cornerstone was given a $900,000 grant to be handle clean up when Avian Flu breaks out in southwestern Ontario. Some residents are concerned vehicles associated with that may end up next door.

“A bio security facility, including a large wash bay and attracting significant truck traffic, does not belong amongst homes and Hamlet,” said Jennifer Bailey as she stood at the podium surrounded by her family.

Bailey also voiced concerns about how the developer has been preparing the site without the proper zoning being in place.

“Just because the property owner jumped the gun and built a very expensive drying bay under the guise of a strawberry packing facility does not mean the council should allow back-door zoning here today,” she said.

“The decision on this rezoning request will set a precedent – a precedent that says it doesn’t matter what the zoning is, it doesn’t matter what you put on a building permit; it doesn’t matter what the intended use of your building is and also, bylaws don’t matter and they are not enforced,” Bailey said.

“As elected officials, you have a duty – a duty – to uphold the rights of your constituents and to protect them from injustices exactly like this, I implore you vote no to this rezoning request.”

Support for the project

There was also support for the truck washing facility in the crowd. Several people, who identified themselves as either Cornerstone Group employees or friends of the owner, spoke.

“The land is already zoned for agriculture, so washing livestock trailers should not be an issue,” said Ryan Prosper of Petrolia, a Cornerstone employee. “It’s already an agricultural community, so adding more agricultural jobs are beneficial.”

“It would create real jobs; local jobs that can’t be shipped overseas and that won’t be replaced by AI. It’ll keep young families here to raise their kids in the community,” added David Raes, another Cornerstone employee.

The Atmosphere

Town and county planning officials were concerned about possible friction before the public meeting. Neighbours opposed to the project had sent out information cards to people across the municipality inviting them to come and voice their opposition.

Days before the public meeting, two of the more vocal opponents of the project received calls from the OPP Provincial Liaison Team to make sure everyone would be “on their best behaviour.” It was a tactic Jess Jessome called “borderline intimidation.”

The town had contacted the OPP “due to the controversial nature of the proposed zoning bylaw amendment and the tensions within the community on the matter,” according to Plympton-Wyoming CAO Adam Sobanski.

Robin Belanger, the spouse of Cornerstone’s owner, spoke about that tension, calling the last three years “painful.” She says cars driving by their Confederation Line home have been spinning their tires kicking up gravel. Once, air was let out of her tires, nearly causing an accident. She said the person she suspected of the tactics was in the room.

“Please stop,” she said, adding they have set up a security system and if the actions continue the police will be called.

Two officers were stationed in the back of the room, just behind a long line of staff from the town and the county. They were never called on during the meeting.

In fact the only tense interaction came because of comments from Boyle, the moderator.

Tight Timing

Supporters and detractors of the project had registered with the town to speak at the public meeting. They were told they would have five minutes to speak. As the first person approached the podium, Boyle said they would have just two minutes. Some balked at the idea, some, like Jennifer Bailey, brought people up to the podium with them claiming their time.

Cindy King, on the other hand, just ignored the bell signalling the end of her speaking time. Boyle interrupted her twice as she headed into the third and fourth minute of her speech.

Then Boyle turning to King’s spouse saying “David, could you encourage your spouse to come back to the table, please.”

There were audible gasps and some chuckles from the crowd. King’s husband went to the podium and stood with her instead of encouraging her to sit down.

When King was done at about the four minute mark, Boyle made a plea for people to keep to the time limitations, out of respect.

As he finished, an older woman, who did not give her name, went to the podium and asked for Boyle’s statement to be retracted.

“It was totally inappropriate to expect a husband to be responsible for a wife. I take offense,” she said walking away as many in the room applauded.

No Decision

Plympton-Wyoming councillors asked no questions after hearing two hours of discussion. They’ll have a chance to discuss the proposal at the Sept. 29 planning meeting.

Sobanski says a decision is possible at that time but not guaranteed.

He added residents can apply to speak at the meeting however whether there are public delegations at the Sept. 29 meeting is at the discretion of council.