Borden-Carleton is using existing infrastructure to the greatest advantage of the community, and will continue to expand the infrastructure available, where financially possible, to serve current and future development. Borden Carleton operates a sanitary sewer collection and treatment system using a secondary treatment lagoon beside the Noonan's Marsh. According to the 1997 Official Plan, “The lagoon has sufficient capacity to accommodate a doubling of the current population”. Heavy industrial users of sanitary sewer services such as food processors cannot be adequately served by the existing system and will require independent sewage treatment. Potential capacity upgrade opportunities exist within the community if the former CN lagoon was combined with the existing system for sewage treatment.
As the community’s existing sewerage capacity currently serves the residential population with ample capacity for an increase in the residential population, upgrades to the system will be likely driven by industrial not residential demands. Industry is generally in a stronger position to shoulder costs or enter into cost sharing arrangements associated with infrastructure studies and upgrades with communities to ease the financial burden. Moreover, either the federal and/or provincial level of government may contribute to the upgrade costs to entice significant employment opportunities. In either scenario, Borden-Carleton must look to partner with industry and/or government when considering significant infrastructure undertakings.
Water Supply
Borden-Carleton provides municipal water services to approximately 208 residential and 40 commercial customers. Upgrades to the water system have taken place in 1998 and 2002. The groundwater supply is classified as a moderately hard groundwater of excellent chemical quality, requiring little or no treatment prior to use, other than mandatory in-line disinfection residual.1 The Province has approved new Drinking Water and Wastewater Facility Operating Regulations under the Environmental Protection Act that govern the operation of drinking water supply and wastewater systems.
Part V requires that all municipal utilities develop and implement well field protection plans for their principal sources of water supply. Thus, Borden-Carleton is required to develop and submit to the PEI Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry a well field protection plan which must address the management activities within established captured zones that could be considered risks to the long term quality or quantity of source water from the bedrock aquifer. The plan must also manage the well field in terms of providing the best balance of groundwater-surface water interaction for sustaining stream base flows within the watershed.
The object of well field protection planning is to develop land use plans which will minimize the potential for the contamination of groundwater within the various “time dependent capture zones” of municipal wells or well fields. There are three time dependent capture zones: a 250-day zone; a 5-year zone; and a 25-year zone. As such, the 250-day zone is considered the most critical in terms of risk. Currently, within the 250-day zone, there is a sizable amount of cropland, some of which is under an Environmental Farm Plan. Land uses which have an impact on groundwater such as agriculture are of high concern, especially where Environmental Farm Plans are not in effect. In developing a well field protection plan, Borden- Carleton will want to ensure that land in these capture zones is under Environmental Farm Plans as a minimum.
Roads
The Trans Canada Highway (TCH) is the backbone to the Provincial highway system. It provides connections between the main centres in the Province and is designed to ensure the safe and efficient movements of goods and people. The TCH is considered to be a arterial roadway and as such through-traffic takes precedence over the local movement of vehicles. The TCH is designed to accommodate higher traffic volumes and larger trucks. Access to the TCH is limited adn traffic movements are concentrated at intersections where they may be controlled through traffic signals and other devices.
In addition to the main arterials, the community road system includes roads of a lower standard that are intended to provide access to adjacent properties. Wehre possible, Borden-Carleton will ensure, in cooperation with the Provincial Departmetn of Transporation and Public Words, the integrity of the community road ststem throuh an appropriate management system.
Wind Energy
Wind technology is the fastest growing commercial-scale energy technology in the world. As a source of fuel, mind has the advantage over fossil fuels of being ecologically wise, free, and immune from being exhausted. Borden-Carleton recognizes the emergence of wind energy as an alternative energy source. With record high prices for non-renewable fossil fuels, the community will strive to balance the potential that exists for wind energy and other alternative forms of energy sources in the community with the concerns of the community.
Concerns often arise concerning the operation of wind turbines (wind mills) in the vicinity of developed communities. These concerns include, but are not limited to, electromagnetic field interference, ground vibrating, alteration of bird migration, the visibility and noise associated with the operation, and a negative impact on property values. On the positive side, private property owners can lease land for wind mills in suitable locations for 3,000 to 4,000 per wind mill per year for on average a 15 year lease. A variety of land use activities coexist with active wind energy turbines all over the world, including agricultural practices, and habitat and open space preservation. Other uses may be compatible depending on set-back requirements for the turbine, the nature of on-site wind energy development, and the effect of the development on resources of regional importance. Commercial and industrial uses are also compatible with the existence of turbines on the same site.
There are no documented cases of wind farms harming local tourism anywhere in the world. Instead, wind farms can actually increase tourism. For example, the Norwegian island village of Vikna has become a tourist attraction. At least 2,000 people per year visit the community=s wind farm whereas prior to the installation of wind turbines few people made the long journey to the island. Other examples from around the world abound. In the resort community of Palm Springs, California, over 10,000 visitors tour the nearby wind farm every year. Closer to home, North Cape is home to the Atlantic Wind Test Centre and its interpretation center with full-time seasonal staff to receive visitors and answer questions. The Province continues to refine provincial regulation and policy for wind mill farms.
Objectives
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To promote the use of existing infrastructure and expand infrastructure where financially feasible, to serve current and future needs.
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To protect the safety, quality and quantity of the community's principle source ofdrinking water supply.
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To provide a safe and efficient transportation network to serve the community
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To support the potential for wind energy development in the community as asustainable renewable energy source
Policies
- Borden-Carleton shall limit unserviced development by restricting the range of uses in areas not served by centralized services to non-intensive forms of development and by requiring larger lot sizes for development requiring on-site servicing systems. (Note that proposals for unserviced development also require the approval of the Provincial Department of the Environment, Energy and Forestry).
- BordenCarleton shall require that all infrastructure costs associated with new/ developer.
- Borden-Carleton shall investigate opportunities for Provincial and/or FederaGovernment financial assistance to carry out expansions and improvements to the water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer systems.
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Borden-Carleton shall assess development proposals to ensure that existing. municipal services systems are adequate to meet the projected demand.
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Borden-Carleton shall establish a long term maintenance and improvement program for the upgrading of municipal infrastructure services. This program shall include a priority list of projects, costs estimates and an evaluation of the capacity and condition of the systems. The plan shall be updated on an annual basis and incorporated into capital budgeting procedures.
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Borden-Carleton shall prepare a well field protection plan as required by the Province of PEI to ensure the safety, quality and quantity of its principal source of drinking water supply. During the interim, Borden-Carleton shall impose a development moratorium of a 0.5 km radius distance surrounding the principal sources of drinking water supply until such time as a plan is developed and implemented. Development, in this instance, shall include but not be limited to any intensification of agriculture.
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Borden-Carleton shall ensure that land use and development on land adjacent to the transportation system be controlled based on the particular category of the abutting roadway
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Borden-Carleton shall provide in its Development Bylaw appropriate standards, set backs from roads and intersections, sight distance, signage near rights-of way and general safety.
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Borden-Carleton shall permit additional access to the TCH where they can be obtained through the development of an appropriately designed public street and intersection.
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Borden-Carleton shall adhere to Provincial standards for local road design and construction.
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Borden-Carleton shall require the developer to bear the cost of improvements to local roads and intersections where a development adversely impacts existing infrastructure
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Borden-Carleton shall commence negotiations with the Federal Government related to maintaining the jetty, breakwater and other marine facilities for potential future use.
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Borden-Carleton shall require the separation of sanitary and storm sewers in all new development where central services are provided
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Borden-Carleton shall require developers of larger parcels to prepare a stormwater management study which examines the natural drainage pattern of the land and includes provisions for storm drainage in the subdivision design. Retention facilities will be required where storm run-off exceeds the carrying capacity of the outlet watercourse.
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Borden-Carleton shall consult with Maritime Electric at regular intervals regarding Company expansion plans and the needs of businesses in the Community.
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Borden-Carleton shall support the study of future wind energy initiatives for the community. Where such initiatives are to be implemented, the regulations set by the Zoning and Development Bylaw will be followed.
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