To: EVERY LANDOWNER WITHIN 120 METRES OF THE SUBJECT LANDS
File No: OPA-2025-01 & ZA-2025-07 Arnott Brothers Construction
Subject Lands: Highland Line, Con 10 Lot 5 Geographic Township of Dalhousie
Municipality: Township of Lanark Highlands
Owner: Arnott Brothers Construction Ltd.
Applicant: Chris Clarke, egis. 

TAKE NOTICE THAT, in accordance with the provisions of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, as amended, this notice is to advise that sufficient information has been presented to deem the applications being processed under Files OPA-2025-01 & ZA-2025-07 as complete.

AND THAT the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Lanark Highlands will hold a PUBLIC MEETING as per procedural By-law on Tuesday, APRIL 14th, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. for the purpose of considering a proposed zoning by-law amendment under Section 34 of the Planning Act. The Public Meeting will be held in person at the Municipal Offices, 75 George Street, Lanark, Ontario. Members of the public may attend in person to participate in the meeting or watch the proceedings live via the Township’s YouTube livestream. In order to assist the Committee in its review of the proposal, you are requested to provide comments on or before APRIL 13th,, by 4:00pm.

PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The proposed Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-Law Amendment are intended to recognize a proposed expansion of the existing licensed gravel pit (ARA License #609261) with 5.8ha (14.3 ac) of additional of land being redesignated from “Rural Communities” to “Mineral Aggregate Resource Policy Area (Pit)” in the Lanark Highlands Official Plan. The amendment to the Township of Lanark Highlands Zoning By-law is intended to rezone the 5.8 ha of additional land from “Rural (RU)” and “Mineral Aggregate Resource Reserve – holding (MAR-h)” to “Mineral Aggregate Resources Pit- Exception 1 (MXP-1) – the same zoning that applies to the existing pit operation. The proposed expansion area contains the existing “McKinnon Pit” access/driveway from Highland Line as well as some additional lands with aggregate materials identified as suitable for extraction.

The proponent has also submitted and Official Plan Amendment to designated the expanded aggregate operation as “Licensed Aggregate Extraction Operation” in the Lanark County Sustainable Communities Official Plan. This application is being administered by Lanark County. The required public meeting for the Lanark County OPA will be held by Lanark County and will be in addition to the public meeting to amendment the Township’s planning documents.

In addition to the amendments to the Township and County planning documents, the proponent has also submitted an application under the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA). The ARA application to the Ministry of Natural Resources is intended to change the ARA license for the entire Pit, including the expansion area, to permit extraction below the water table. The existing “McKinnon Pit” consists of a Class A license for an annual extraction of 150,000 tonnes and is limited to 1.5 metres above the water table. The expansion area adds an additional 5.8 hectares to the current license for a total area of 40.1 hectares. The extraction area would be limited to 31.6 hectares. The new ARA license will seek to permit aggregate extraction up to 20m below the water table using drag lines or dredging methods. No diversion or drainage of groundwater is proposed. The entire site would be extracted below water table creating a lake and wetland environment as a final rehabilitated state. The new annual tonnage condition will be limited to 250,000 tonnes. The amendment to extract below water for the current licensed operation is a provincial responsibility addressed by revisions to the Aggregate Resources Act in 2022 and is not covered by local Official Plan or Zoning By-Law policies.

IF A PERSON OR PUBLIC BODY would otherwise have an ability to appeal the decision of the Township of Lanark Highlands to the Ontario Land Tribunal but the person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the Township of Lanark Highlands before the OPA is adopted and ZBA by-law is passed, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision and may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to do so.

If you wish to be notified of the decision of the Township of Lanark Highlands on the proposed official plan amendment and zoning by-law amendment, you must make a written request to the Township of Lanark Highlands.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION regarding the proposed official plan amendment and zoning by-law amendment will be available for public inspection at the Township of Lanark Highlands Municipal Office by appointment during regular business hours, Monday to Friday, from 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.

DATED at the Township of Lanark Highlands this 26th day of February 2026.

Nicole Guthrie, Clerk
Township of Lanark Highlands,75 George Street
Lanark, ON, K0G 1K0

T: 613-259-2398 or 1-800-239-4695 ext. 250
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