It seems that a group of local citizens have been turned down in their appeal for a “ministerial review” of Deep River’s controversial Avon Road project.
Deep River council voted in May to rezone the property at 00 Avon to allow for the construction of a six-unit “row stacked dwelling” with underground parking.
The town bought the property from the former Lutheran Church for $1 in 2006, and sold it to Neil Milton, president of Bygda Builders, in 2023 after having declared it “surplus” the previous year.
But in a letter to Minister Rob Flack in June, the group said the rezoned property “directly abuts six other properties and is located in a well-established neighbourhood with a long-standing character that residents value deeply.”
“This rezoning is not just another administrative exercise – it is the first under the provincial government’s new intensification initiatives, establishing a precedent in our community,” the group said.
“Accordingly, community support is critical if development is to take root. The strong opposition from the local neighbourhood should be a clear signal for further reflection.”
The letter appeared to be signed by 31 people in all. Their names and signatures were blacked out in the copy of the letter provided to the NRT.
According to the website, insideottawavalley.com, the group received a response to their letter last week.
“The ministry serves as the approval authority for the Renfrew County Official Plan and is not involved in the day-to-day administration of local development approvals in the town of Deep River, including zoning bylaw amendment applications,” it said in its response.
It added that a complaint can be submitted to the Ontario Ombudsman…
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