Terra Cotta residents protest illegal development on Greenbelt land

December 21, 2023 · 0 Comments

Fish habitat, downstream communities threatened by work done at 301 King Street, say residents

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Residents of Terra Cotta recently protested outside of a property where they say illegal development has been occurring.

On December 10, concerned Terra Cotta residents gathered with protest signs out front of 301 King Street.

The property, which is on the Credit River flood plain and in the Greenbelt, has had 50 to 60 truckloads of fill brought into it, according to eyewitnesses.

A large gravel parking lot, a raised stone and gravel platform, and wooden structures have been built on the property since its current owner bought it in 2020, said Jim Thomas, a Terra Cotta resident who helped plan the protest.

The property owner, Hargobind Pura Inc., is a company with an address in Alliston that was incorporated in 2011. Contact information for anyone with the company was not able to be found before publication.

Due to the property’s location on a flood plain and in the Greenbelt, Terra Cotta residents say the development actions taken on it are illegal and will lead to environmental disaster.

Residents are concerned that those downstream of the property will see increased impacts from the spring ice break up; and that the illegal fill on the property will damage fish habitat.

Credit Valley Conservation issued a violation notice to the owners of 301 King Street on October 27. The notice said the property owner was “developing or allowing development to occur within a regulated area without the written permission of CVC contrary to Ontario Regulation 160/06.”

According to residents, orders to cease further damage to the property and restore the property by December 10, 2023 were issued to the property owner by the Town of Caledon.

The Town of Caledon confirmed that “an order was issued to the address” but would not provide further details about the order.

Thomas said Terra Cotta residents would like to see the Town of Caledon restore the property itself and charge the property owner for the work, since the restoration order deadline was not met. In general, residents want to see violations and orders against the property enforced as soon as possible.

“There’s a normal way of doing business and there’s a ‘what happens if there’s an emergency?’ way of doing business. Every company is prepared for the exceptional circumstance (and) this is an exceptional circumstance,” said Thomas. “We’d better get going really quick on this before all this damage occurs.”

Thomas said preservation of natural habitats is a collective responsibility and Terra Cotta residents want to make sure their home remains a sanctuary for the environment.