Correction: The date of Guelph council's expected ratification meeting was incorrectly stated in this article, which has been changed to note the correct date of July 19.
Guelph city council became the third governing body to give approval of the annexation of the Dolime Quarry property at its committee of the whole meeting Monday night.
Once ratified at the full meeting of city council later this month, Guelph will ask the province to grant an Minister's Zoning Order (MZO) allowing Guelph to annex the property. Guelph/Eramosa Township, where the property currently sits, and County of Wellington council have already approved the move, though in the case of the township council hasn't formalized committee-level endorsement just yet. That's set for July 12.
Guelph council also passed motions regarding the exact boundary of the annexation request and to ask that the MZO rezone the lands to permit residential in principle.
An MZO order will speed up the annexation process.
An amendment to the staff recommendations saw Coun. Cathy Downer add, successfully, that the lands shall be subject to future Planning Act applications, such as zoning bylaw amendments and official plan amendments.
Mayor Cam Guthrie noted that Monday's decision was (almost) the end of 14 years of study, planning and negotiations to bring the Dolime property into Guelph's boundaries, with the ultimate goal being the protection of Guelph's water supply, both quantity and quality.
Dolime quarry is about 230 acres in size, located between Wellington Street West and College Avenue on the west side of Hanlon Expressway.
Formal ratification of Monday's committee of the whole decision should come at the July 19 full meeting of council.
