Town’s purchase of salvage yard
By Cynthia Gamble, Staff Writer
Limehouse residents were thrilled to learn that Halton Hills council will purchase a property— now an existing salvage yard— in the middle of the hamlet for $500,000.
Council approved the decision recently to acquire the 2.28 acre property and associated salvage yard licence at 11134, 22 Sideroad in Limehouse. The property is owned by Fred and Margaret Tolton. Mr. Tolton passed away a few days before the council decision.
The property, located across the road from Limehouse School, is on the Niagara Escarpment and is adjacent to the Limehouse Conservation Area— an environmentally significant area containing a section of The Bruce Trail and the historic lime kilns.
“The purchase achieves a number of Town strategic goals,” said Mayor Rick Bonnette.
It allows for the decommissioning of the salvage yard operation in the centre of Limehouse, brings historical and nationally significant features into public ownership and will be a strategic location to improve The Bruce Trail alignment.
“There is no doubt that the decommissioning of the salvage yard in the centre of Limehouse will serve the area well from an environmental standpoint” said the mayor, “but more importantly, this site has a number of important attributes, including an historic horse mill that was once used for the production of lime.”
“We are thrilled,” said Limehouse resident Mary Shier and a member of the Limehouse Kiln Society, “and excited after all these decades that an agreement has been reached.”
“It’s a real relief,” agreed Limehouse resident Marcia Batchelor, “People are in a pleasant state of shock.”
A public information meeting will be held at the Limehouse Memorial Hall after the acquisition to provide residents with information about the salvage yard’s decommissioning and to get input on the site’s future redevelopment.
The Toltons had approached the Town with the sale offer.
The Town will pay $400,000— $275,000 in cash and a $125,000 tax receipt on the sale closing. The remaining $100,000 cash will be held by the Town as a performance provision and will be payable once the property is cleared by the owners of all the salvage and structures over a two-year period.
There are currently three restrictions on the site:
• The Toltons own only the surface rights; Domtar Inc. owns the rock rights and quarries upon and under the land
• CN holds the rights to draw water from the springs located on the property The Town’s lawyer will be seeking to obtain releases of those rights.
• Use of the property as a salvage yard has created environmental concerns. The Town commissioned a Phase 1 and 2 Environmental Site Assessment for the property.
On the future redevelopment, the Town will also seek input from the Limehouse Kiln Society and Bruce Trail Association— who have both indicated to the Town their interest in the site— plus the Niagara Escarpment Commission and the Credit Valley Conservation.
(Cynthia Gamble can be reached at
cgamble@independentfreepress.com)
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