A Walkerton business is coming under more fire from surrounding residents over expansion plans that are meant “for the betterment of the neighbourhood,” according to its owner.
Price-Schonstrom first met resistance from local homeowners in June when owner Rich Grubb received Brockton council approval to reduce setback requirements from six metres to three metres to allow a small expansion of the Elm Street building.
Several area residents attended the meeting to express their disapproval of the request, which passed unanimously.
Now Grubb is meeting more resistance for his  request for a zoning amendment for two William Street lots which he purchased earlier this year. Grubb is requesting a change from Residential 2 to Residential 2 Special to allow parking.
Matt Mellor and his wife, Nyssa, purchased a home on William Street immediately south of the proposed lands in June of 2009.
“In my opinion (the parking lot) is unacceptable,” Matt Mellor said. He questions what will happen to his property value if the expansion and now parking lot expansion is allowed. And he’s upset at council. “If you bend over backwards for commercial, what happens to the residents,” he asked.
Mellor said he and his wife will move if the zoning amendment is approved. “We won’t stay here,” he vowed.
Harry Clarance, who moved into his house further south on William Street about five months ago also doesn’t like the request.
“It’s a combination of everything,” he said. “Who knows what they have in mind. At the (minor variance) meeting they said it would be the last expansion. How can they say that and do this,” he asked regarding the parking lot expansion.
Wayne Holman, another William Street resident, said “the town needs to know residents are concerned about it. The potential for abuse is there – where’s the buffer zone?”
Complaints were also made of the company – a custom fabricator of pressure vessels and miscellaneous equipment which employs close to 40 workers – leaving equipment outside.
Price-Schonstrom owner Grubb admits to being surprised at all the opposition his plans have met to date.
“We’re not going to be building anything or storing equipment there,” he said of the William Street lots. “I’m just trying to keep parking off the streets. I would think they would want that in their neighbourhood.”
He said one of the lots has been used in the past for parking and that parking has existed there since the days of the old Canada Spool and Bobbin Factory.
Grubb said plans call for the creation of one more row of parking adjacent to the current lot, which he’s also requesting a zoning change to R2 Special to make it conforming. “We’re not going over the entire area, just one more row, that’s all,” he said, adding the rest of the land will be maintained.
Grubb said he sent a letter to area neighbours inviting them to meet with him to discuss his expansion plans. “Only three replied and they toured the plant,” he said.
He said the expansion of the plant will address issues of machinery left outside.
“We need to grow. I want to do the best I can and live with my neighbours.”
The rezoning application is expected to be discussed at a public meeting in September.