At Champlain Township’s most recent council meeting, it approved a by-law to move ahead with expropriation of 28.56 acres of land located north of the township’s landfill site, which is located along Cassburn Road. The township needs the land for a contaminant attenuation zone.
Council discussed the move in a closed meeting on February 12, 2020 and has moved to expropriate because efforts to purchase the land have been unsuccessful.
Champlain Township Mayor Normand Riopel says that the town had earlier tried to purchase the water rights to the land which is attached to its landfill site. The water table on the neighbouring land could be at risk for contamination and the township cannot risk contaminating a neighbouring property.
But a deal could not be struck with the landowner, Riopel said.
Expropriation means that the landowner will be notified of the expropriation process by registered mail. Owners have the right to an inquiry and the owner of the land can request a “Hearing of Necessity.”
If there is a request for a hearing, the municipality must advise the provincially appointed Chief Inquiry Officer, who will assign an Inquiry Officer to the matter. That individual would set a time and a place for the hearing and will serve notice on all parties.
If there is no request for such a hearing, the township will proceed with the expropriation, where an expropriation plan will be prepared by a land surveyor and a subsequent by-law is written and presented to council for approval to register the plan and proceed with the expropriation.
The by-law approved at Champlain Township’s June 11 meeting provides for the making of an application for approval to expropriate the property.
