Council voted to defer a staff report recommending against a temporary use by-law amendment that would have given paintball company Flag Raiders a conditional green light to operate at 1500 Kossuth Road as a commercial-recreational use.
The report recommending council not allow another temporary use permit for the property, presented by planning staff at Tuesday's council meeting, was the result of a request in April to bring forward a report and recommendations.
The deferral will now give Flag Raiders an opportunity to complete a pre-consultation, and subsequent Regional Official Plan Amendment, Official Plan amendment and a zoning bylaw amendment applications to determine if the required usage can be permitted.
Flag Raiders owners Joe and Corey Kimpson want to save their 2022 season and return to the Cambridge property they've owned for 20 years, which they operated on the property under a number of temporary use exemptions between 2001 and 2008.
The Kimpsons purchased 1500 Kossuth Rd. without knowing it wasn't zoned for recreational use and had been operating Flag Raiders next to Bingemans in Kitchener since being asked to relocate in 2008. Their Kitchener location was sold for development in 2020.
In a separate effort from the temporary use by-law amendment process, Flag Raiders has asked council to support their request to the province for a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) to allow them to operate at 1500 Kossuth Rd.
An MZO is meant to expedite approvals and overrides local planning authority to approve development.
Last month council tasked Flag Raiders with consulting again with neighbours, the Region of Waterloo, Grand River Conservation Authority, Six Nations of the Grand River, and Mississaugas of the Credit and then report back to city staff as to the results of those consultations.
City staff, meantime, say the earliest they could have another report ready on the MZO option is mid-July.
