CORNWALL, Ontario – Plans are being formulated to develop the former Domtar property in Cornwall – but it will likely be years before any significant improvements become a reality.
Paris Holdings, the current owner of the massive 74-acre property, wants to sever a small piece of land on the west end of the property to sell to a private individual.
A committee of adjustment meeting is taking place June 16 at the civic complex to go over the intricacies of that plan, and solicit input from neighbouring property owners.
A private developer wants to purchase about 6.5 acres of the former Domtar property located on King Street, so that a multi-residential facility can be built.
But Mary-Joyce Smith, a senior planner with the city, said plans are very much in their infancy at this point.
She said while that section of land is generally believed to be free of contamination, more specifics will have to be collected before the Ministry of Environment can be satisfied.
In the meantime, the city wants to allay concerns about further development of the entire property, including the land where the former mill sat.
Smith said Paris Holdings is working with an Ottawa developer to that end.
“They’re working on quite a large piece of land,” she said, adding the city wants to ensure things like adequate parking, rights of way and the like are considered before development is approved.
Paris Holdings officials were not immediately available for comment.
But Maurice Gatien, a Cornwall lawyer who specializes in real estate, will be appearing at the committee of adjustment meeting in a couple of weeks.
He told Seaway News he is pleased to see development being considered in a residential capacity for the small western portion of the property.
The land is currently zoned manufacturing, which means private interests could build a factory or something similar which may concern nearby residential property owners.
“It is a gem of greenery,” he said. “I’d be far more concerned with it remaining in its current zoning.”
Notices have been sent to nearby property owners, alerting them to the committee of adjustment meeting June 16.
The committee is expected to make a decision approving the land severance, with some associated conditions. There will be a 20-day window, following the decision, for potential appeals to be filed.
Paris Holdings has worked for years, since the 2006 closure of Domtar, to tear down and remove many sections of the former paper mill.
Two iconic smokestacks, in addition to other rubble, still remain.
