CBS moves to satisfy Province on proposed ATV Bypass

By Craig Westcott

CBS council has adopted amendments to its development regulations and municipal plan in the latest effort to eventually see the creation of an ATV trail through and to the town.

Adoption of the amendments come with a legislative requirement to appoint a commissioner to hold a public hearing on the changes. Consultant George Trainor has been appointed to serve as the commissioner. Trainor previously worked as an appraiser with Newfoundland Power and serves as the commissioner for the City of St. John’s Assessment Appeal Court. He will hold a public hearing on the CBS amendments at the Town Hall on May 12.

Ward 3 councillor Gerard Tilley moved the resolution to approve the amendments and appoint Trainor during last week’s public council meeting.

Tilley noted that in order to see the ATV trail come to fruition, the Town needs to acquire Crown Land. However, when CBS applied for Crown Land several years ago to link the central and western ends of town, the Province rejected the application. Part of the reason, Tilley said, was that the government felt the Town lacked policies and regulations to accommodate the trail.

Since then, Tilley said, Town staff have drafted amendments to the Town Plan that identified specific routes for the trail.

“And after consultation with the government officials, it was determined that the additional policies and regulations would provide more flexibility to allow future ATV trails and uses within the town,” Tilley added. “And I’ll stress ‘trails’ not being the railbed – (but) all other trails.”

Tilley said the proposed trails have been advertised in the local newspaper and outlined to residents at a public meeting. The Town submitted the proposed amendments to the Province in December for review, and last month Municipal Affairs released the proposals without making any comment or recommendations.

“This doesn’t actually change anything for ATV operations in the town right now,” Mayor Darrin Bent pointed out. “What it does is it allows us to pursue the ATV Bypass Trail that we’ve been working on with the ATV committee for some time now. This is something we have to do as per the Province, so it’s good to get it moving.”

Tilley said if no written submissions are made to the Town up to two days before the public hearing date, the session will be cancelled.