By Chad Ingram

Published May 3 2016

Haliburton County councillors approved the site plan for an 83-lot subdivision near Bark Lake during their April 27 meeting.

The subdivision will be located on the 400-acre property that for years has housed the Bark Lake Leadership Centre along the lake’s southeastern shore.
The property is owned by Hamilton-based private school Columbia International College and is located in the municipality of Highlands East.
The subdivision will use common buildings from the leadership facility including a community centre and sewage treatment centre which will be updated.

Residents will not be permitted to own their own powerboats. Rather a set number of powerboats will be owned by the development’s condo corporation and kept at a central docking location.
County planning director Charlsey White explained to councillors the application adhered to numerous requirements including environmental regulations. The size of the development was reduced from the originally proposed 110 lots to protect habitat of species at risk on the property and accommodations for animals – snake fencing turtle crossing etc. – are part of the plan.
A Phase 2 archeological study must still be conducted on the property.

During a March 23 public meeting on the development an Irondale resident voiced some concerns about the project questioning whether the Crown land that also borders the lake might be part of the massive Algonquin Land Claim settlement.
White told council she’d investigated and the Crown land at Bark Lake is not part of the settlement.
Access to the development will be through a right-of-way over Crown property. Canada Post has said there will be no mail delivery although White said Wednesday that a central drop off location may be possible. Otherwise residents will have to get post office boxes.
White also said the school board will not run buses to the development nor is a pick up/drop off location at County Road 503 suitable.

County Warden Carol Moffatt asked if this meant parents would have to drive their children to school.
White responded saying a condition of the development because of the property’s zoning is that residency not be year-round. She said anyone living in a residence year-round would be in violation of municipal bylaws.