Heather Wright/The Independent

Jessica Jessome just wants Plympton-Wyoming council to make a decision.

She’s one of the Wanstead residents who have opposed plans by Cornerstone Developments to build a livestock trailer washing station in the small residential area of the rural village.

Monday, Jessome and her neighbour, Jennifer Bailey, appeared before council saying the application for the project has been dragging on since 2022 with county planning staff not taking action on what the neighbours say is clear violations of planning rules. 

Council had planned to talk with the developer and discuss the project Monday, but announced Sept. 17, that would be delayed so Cornerstone could complete studies on noise, hydrogeological issues and odour.

Jessome says the town has been dealing with proposals for the property since 2022, when Cornerstone applied for a building permit for a strawberry operation. 

That building has four bays for tractor trailers, and according to the developer’s plans, will be the drying station for the trucks.

Jessome says Cornerstone has repeatedly found workarounds to getting the proper planning approvals, pointing to a meeting that happened in April 2022 between county planning staff and Cornerstone’s developers.

“The record shows that the above ground fuel tanks were removed from the proposal to avoid study requirements,” Jessome told council. “The noise study was waived if fencing was installed and no environmental impact assessment was required. 

“Yet today, those same above ground fuel tanks are on site and in active use daily. What was presented in 2022 was and is proven false. This is not a minor discrepancy. It proves misrepresentation by the applicant and a failure of enforcement by the town and the county.” 

“Even when a public planning meeting was scheduled in April 2024 it was a developer who postponed it, prolonging the process yet again. Now, after years of deferral, Council is being asked to consider fresh studies as if this file were new. But under the Planning Act, this file is not new, it’s been deemed complete. Council has an obligation to make a decision based on that completed application.”

Bailey, meantime, took aim on the use of the truck washing station. 

“This facility is being partially funded by the federal government to serve as part of a regional ASF emergency response plan, a key point not included in any of the planning reports.

Documents from Agriculture Canada show Cornerstone received $757,893 in April 2023 to invest in “CO2 storage and mobile CO2 gas trailer, a swine euthanasia vessel, a commercial wash bay for the agriculture sector.” 

“That means that in the event of an outbreak, this site could operate outside of stated business hours, run on an extended emergency basis, experience surges in truck traffic, noise activity, especially during disinfection periods,” Bailey said.

“This is not just a routine facility with fixed hours. It is a designated biosecurity site that could activate 24/7, depending on agricultural crisis.”

While Cornerstone’s owner was scheduled to speak Monday, Mayor Gary Atkinson says his request was withdrawn.

Council thanked the neighbours for appearing before council, but asked no questions.

Plympton-Wyoming CAO Adam Sobanski was unclear when the additional reports would be ready for council. 

Not only do they have to be prepared by the developer’s team, they will be peer reviewed by another consulting firm for the municipality before council looks over the information and makes a decision. 

Sobanski added the town is working to have a decision as soon as possible.