By Gordon Lambie
The town of Ayer’s Cliff held a second public consultation on Tuesday night relating to draft bylaw 2022-13, a project seeking to change the rules in the community relating to waterproof surfaces.
Speaking with The Record after the meeting, Ayer’s Cliff Mayor Simon Roy said that the motivation behind the draft bylaw is based in the idea of protecting local waterways.
“With more and more harsh rains, the runoff is greater than it used to be,” the mayor said, highlighting the fact that rain that comes fast and heavy doesn’t absorb into the ground in the same way a lighter, more drawn-out rainfall would. Combined with an increasing amount of non-permeable surfaces in the area, such as paved driveways, this runoff can produce a greater risk of flooding.
The text of the draft bylaw, which is available in French on the town’s website, seeks to require the use of “permeable materials” such as paving stones, vegetation, or gravel for new construction, reconstructions and expansions on properties within 200m of the shores of Lake Massawippi or the Tomifobia River, and on any property with an incline of 15 per cent or greater. The regulation also requires the control of runoff water, in particular for new construction, reconstructions and expansions of impermeable surfaces totaling more than 900 m2 on a lot.
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