Wilmot council considers new safety report for Schneider land donation | CBC News

A report on types of safe parking options to potentially build around land owned by the Schneider family in Wilmot Township, which the family wishes to donate, will go to council next Monday.

The Schneider family, known for their major food-processing company, wants to donate 235 acres of ecologically-significant land they’ve owned in Wilmot for more than 40 years. But the township wants to make sure there is enough space to safely park in the area before the land is donated to Rare Charitable Research Reserve and rezoned for conservation.

Once a land is protected by environmental zoning, there are land use restrictions that would prevent any future development that involves cutting down trees or building structures in the area.

When the township proposed paving part of the land to build a parking lot, there were ecological concerns raised by the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA). The Schneider family has also said they are not in favour of building a parking lot anywhere on the land.

Kris Wilkinson, a councillor for the Township of Wilmot, said a new report to council will help them consider alternative plans.

“We have to look at options and we’re partnering with the City of Waterloo to try and reach an agreement on actions that could be taken on Wilmot Line and surrounding areas and that may involve stopping roadside parking but providing an alternative solution,” he said.

The township is hoping to work with the City of Waterloo because it borders the Schneider land and has shared responsibilities over Wilmot Line, the road that the township is worried will put drivers and pedestrians at risk if people try to park along the rural road.

The back-and-forth discussion over parking safety has been ongoing for over four years between the Schneiders and the township. Wilkinson is hoping this report will help finally put an end to that.

“We’re not trying to actively roadblock this or delay it. We’ve been working to try and address the liability concerns. We have to work to find a solution that’s agreeable,” Wilkinson said.

Stephanie Sobek-Swant, the executive director of Rare Charitable Research Reserve, says time is ticking for the land donation as the Schneider family’s matriarch is older and the donation would become more complicated if she died before it was handed over.

“You do not find a lot of property owners who would be willing to forgo selling a piece of property that they probably could make upwards of $2 million off if they sold it,” she said.

“There’s also very few people who have done similar excellent stewardship of land like the Schneider family has shown they’re such passionate conservationists.”